Nice plans to sell 2,000 acres illegally: Gowda
JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday alleged that Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (Nice), promoter of the BMIC project, has been illegally selling about 2,000 acres of land worth about Rs 8,000 crore which the Karnataka government had handed over to the company for the project.
Addressing reporters, he alleged that Nice has inked an agreement with Ajmera Builders and Umang Developers to sell the land, mostly owned by poor farmers.
The company does not have any right to sell the land. They have to return the land to the government after the 30-year lease period, he added.
While ordering a probe into the alleged irregularities in the project, a Lokayukta court recently directed the State government to attach about 259 acres which the Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprise Limited (NECEL), a sister concern of Nice, handed over to these two firms.
Gowda alleged that Nice had taken up the project without investing a single rupee.
It raised about Rs 1,300 crore by pledging the land allotted by the government in banks.
Now, the company is making preparations to sell this valuable land illegally. While the farmers got compensation in the range of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 50 lakh per acre, Nice is now selling it for Rs 4 crore per acre, he alleged.
Five townships
This apart, he alleged, Nice has entered into a joint development agreement with Umang
Developers and Ajmera Builders for developing five townships, which are part of the BMIC project.
He blamed those who became chief ministers after his tenure and some senior officials for the alleged irregularities in the project implementation.
“I am in no way responsible for these misdeeds. I have brought all the irregularities to the notice of the Union government, the BJP leaders and the judiciary,” he stated.
