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The Opposition parties have asked the Karnataka government to take over the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project promoted by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) as they claimed that the company had committed various violations and irregularities.
Participating in a debate on the issue of BMIC project in the Legislative Assembly, former Chief Minister and Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader HD Kumaraswamy said the government should bring a Bill in the ongoing session itself to facilitate the takeover to give justice to farmers whose lands were acquired at throwaway prices.
Land resaleThe JDS leader alleged that the NICE had sold some of the land acquired for the project at ₹15 to 20 crore an acre though the farmers had been given a compensation of just ₹2 to 3 lakh an acre. “Be sympathetic to farmers who have lost their land for the project. While they got meagre compensation when their land was acquired, it costs more than ₹5 crore an acre now.”
He expressed concern that no action had been taken against the project promoters though a year had passed since a legislature committee had recommended serious action, including referring the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for a thorough probe.
Pointing out that the Framework Agreement with the NICE had clearly barred the company from collecting toll till it built concrete roads, he wondered how the government had allowed collection of toll without this condition being fulfilled.
Kumaraswamy alleged that a few government officials who helped NICE to flout the rules had joined the company in senior positions after retirement from government service.
Rule violationsThe 11-member committee headed by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister TB Jayachandra that looked into the House panel report, tabled in the Assembly in December 2016, had come to the conclusion that out of 22 articles in the Framework Agreement, 16 had been violated by NICE.
Participating in the debate, another JDS legislator KM Shivalinge Gowda, who was part of the House committee, expressed concern over the NICE authorities getting stay over implementation of the committee’s recommendation to suspend collection of toll. He took exception to the government not taking measures to vacate the stay.
Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar also urged the government to act sternly against the NICE.
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