BMIC irregularities cost State Rs one lakh crore: Doreswamy

Freedom fighter H S Doreswamy on Monday alleged large scale irregularities in the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) leading to the loss of Rs one lakh crore to the State exchequer.

Addressing a press conference, Doreswamy said that the alignments, villages, survey numbers and the schedule-1of the Frame Work Agreement (FWA) were changed in the name of Outline Development Plan (ODP) without any fresh Cabinet approval.

He quoted the reply of the Member Secretary of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Area Planning Authority (BMICAPA) to an RTI, “At the time of getting approval by the BMIC, the Managing Director of the NICEL was a member of BMICAPA. In his capacity as a member of the BMICAPA, the NICEL has misrepresented the facts relating to the alignment of road, by misleading the BMICAPA, he has been able to secure the approval.”

Doreswamy added that the NICEL changed for Toll Road from 6,999 acre to 9,471 acre, thereby increasing Toll Road by 2,472 acre.

This different 2,472 acres are claimed in Bangalore and accordingly, lands for townships were changed, reduced or increased without fresh approval of Cabinet and courts.

He added that the FWA lands claimed by the NICEL on March 31, 2010 for ODP alignment was 9,812 acre and 30 guntas, which is contrary to the BMICP alignment.

As a result, 35 new villages were added to implement the ODP dated February 12, 2004 without cabinet approval.

The freedom fighter further quoted a portion of the PWD secretary's affidavit before the Karnataka High Court in a contempt petition (CCC265/07), which discloses the fraud and loss to the State exchequer.

It read, “It is submitted that subsequent to FWA, several developments and events have taken place, which resulted in impermissible deviation and changes from the FWA and the project as originally conceived, resulting in enormous losses of several thousands of crores of rupees to the State exchequer through attempts to illegally usurp public and private properties, which has resulted in public agitation/demonstration and outcry by farmers, land owners and others, over reports that private and government lands and even community lands, graveyard, burial grounds, tanks etc. are being sought to be illegally usurped. This has led to law and order problems including threatened self immolations by some farmers.”

He pointed out that the changes of peripheral alignment without entering into supplementary agreement to FWA to facilitate real estate development over different lands in Bangalore resulted in one lakh crore of fraud. He added that in place of concrete road, tar road was used and toll was collected.

He demanded the government to initiate action against the erring officers and stop collecting toll immediately.