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BMIC updates - Guv proposes, EC disposes

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Written By silkboard - 13 May, 2008

BMIC Traffic Bangalore NICE Mysore


It probably started in late March (28/3/08), when Supreme Court issued notices asking Karnataka government to respond as to why the SC order on BMIC is not implemented. The notice was returnable in six weeks. Fast forward that much time, and on May 7, we were told (TOI - typically pro NICE) that government has issued a go ahead on BMIC:

"... the government has paved the way for completion of the peripheral and link roads, which were stalled by the H D Kumaraswamy government. Besides, an empowered committee headed by chief secretary Sudhakar Rao has been asked to take all necessary steps for early completion of NICE's projects ..."

As per Hindu (typically anti NICE), a clearance like this would mean handing over 2200 acres of land to NICE, some or all of which was earlier claimed by the state to be in 'excess' of requirements:

"The State Executive Committee, headed by Governor Rameshwar Thakur, appears to have overlooked the issue of excess land acquired for the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project, thus paving the way for handing over 2,200 acres of land ..."

However, then came Election Commission with its code of conduct, and said the clearance to NICE on BMIC violates it. The clearance was apparently withdrawn. Well, thats fair enough. Things would anyway change once the elected government takes charge, how much would have NICE managed in a few weeks anyway.

They have been working on the Link Road though (the one that connects NICE peripheral road to center of the city), we hear that about 7.1 kms out of 9.1 are done. Usage of NICE peripheral road has been picking up, good gains have been seen on Mysore Road - Tumkur Road stretch.

Next hearing on the contempt petition is scheduled to come up for hearing in SC only in the second week of August. Either that, or the next elected government should set the course for further action. We will keep watching, because apparently that is all we can do right now :)

[Note: Photo credit ArunnurA @ flickr]

COMMENTS

totally agree with you; BMIC

ssheragu - 14 May, 2008 - 12:21

totally agree with you;

BMIC has nothing to do with the elections; in fact ashok kheny can do better in the absence of these elected politicians

Srinath Heragu

EC decission fair?

blrsri - 14 May, 2008 - 07:45

Allowing NICE to complete the peripheral road was in no way related to 'claim credit' scenario for any party..technically speaking, since the guvs' office is supposed to be apolitical. Though we all know what it actually is.

Though the govt. decission on NICE itself was hurried..it was atleast in the interest of the general public..imagine the relief the peripheral road would have brought to bangaloreans as well as the trucks which need to now pass thru ORR to reach Hosur road from Tumkur road!

Probably Gopalaswamy reads Hindu line by line!

Unfair

Vasanth - 14 May, 2008 - 09:08

EC decision is unfair. Government wants the politicians to decide the project and not the people who badly need especially the peripheral and link roads.

BMIC

tsubba - 14 May, 2008 - 12:23

This is a wise intervention by the EC. It was not for the current govt., with its limited mandate and limited tenure to decide on this in a hurried manner that too after the dates for the elections had by then been announced. The contempt petition is not returnable until august. in all this we should not forget that there has been ghoopla: from that hindu report... The allegation of excess land pertains only to the first phase of the project adjoining Bangalore. The first stage includes: 41 km of peripheral road and 9.8 km link road requiring a total 2,471 acres of land; 12 km of expressway requiring 896 acres; and a township at Bidadi on 2,775 acres. The total land required for the first stage is 6,142 acres. According to government records, NICE is already in possession of about 2,896 acres land for peripheral and link road components which is in excess by 425 acres over the required 2,471 acres approved by the High Court and the Supreme Court. The sources said that the Executive Committee has allegedly ignored this fact and considered only the land required for the entire project (20,193 acre) based on a letter submitted by NICE. As such there is no dispute on the total land required for the project. hindu & DH have been dispassionate. hindu has also carried good human interest stories that show NICE in good light. i dont make much of the SC and HC admonishment of the state too seriously. the govt is not a feudal/tribal body running to preserve some mythical ijjat. it has to do what it has to do. there is no one govt that will do more than the other in this issue. both kheny and gowda have divided the govt - babu's, lawyers, etc.., into two on this issue. that extra addition of land is legal due to a note is fine. but the question is why was it necessary to add that note, and why was the additional land not in the original framework document. just where are the final maps? shouldn't you be finalizing maps and decide whether to build on or around the gottigere, before you dig up anything? the only good thing that came out of guv, was the note that this might have to be settled outside the courts between the two parties. my only hope is that this settlement is transparent and involves the elder gowda as one of the parties at the table. he does not have any interest for the farmers or the state, but he hates NICE enough, for whatever reason, that he will ensure that they cannot run with the ball. and that is the best we can hope and having others at the table will ensure that the gowda's dont make a mudde out of the issue. you guys tell me, how is a park and a film city part of the BMIC project?

heragu sir

tsubba - 14 May, 2008 - 12:36

sure kheny can do better, but what about bangalore?

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