Opposition demands House panel probe into BMIC 'irregularities'

Opposition parties, the BJP and the JD(S), on Wednesday raised the demand for a House committee to investigate the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project.

Leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar  and JD(S) floor leader H D Kumaraswamy raised the demand in the Legislative Assembly after a member each of their respective parties charged that the government had handed over 1,291 acres of excess land valued at about Rs 10,000 crore to the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (Nice), the project promoter, in violation of the Framework Agreement (FWA).

In a discussion on grants for the Public Works Department (PWD), BJP member S R Vishwanath alleged that Nice should have got only 6,142 acres of land under phase one of the project involving 41 km of peripheral road, 9.8 km of link road, 13 km of expressway and a township at Bidadi.

The government not only gave the land it had acquired from farmers, but also 1,291 acres of government land between Hosur Road and Tumkur Road, he maintained.

Kheny’s objection

Bidar South MLA Ashok Kheny, who is the managing director of Nice, was present in the House during the debate.

He objected to the allegations and claimed that Vishwanath was misleading the House.

But Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa told him he could not defend his company in the House and only the government could respond to the issues raised by the members.

Vishwanath didn’t stop at that. He claimed that the company had been violating the FWA by selling the land—given to it for road development—to private developers at Rs 4-5 crore per acre.

As per the FWA, all the land should be returned to the government after 30 years.

As per the FWA, the company should have built a concrete road, but so far it has laid only an asphalted road. What’s more, it fixed exorbitant toll on peripheral and link roads without obtaining the government’s permission, he alleged.

JD(S) member K S Manjunath Gowda alleged that the government had given exemption from stamp duty only for the township component of the project.

But the company has not paid stamp duty on any land.

The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) officials have been dancing to the company’s tunes and acquiring land as per its diktats, he claimed and demanded a CBI investigation.

When both Shettar and Kumaraswamy intervened and demanded a House committee in this regard, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the government would take appropriate decision after duly considering all aspects of the project, including court judgments.