Anti-BMIC activists find fault with govt affidavits

 A group of people who launched a campaign against the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Limited’s (Nice), Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project on Tuesday said that recent affidavits filed by the State government are not in line with the judgements rendered by the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court.

“The different judgements rendered by the High Court and the Supreme Court till date proceeded on the basis that the entire extent of land required for the project, that is 20,193 acres, has been scientifically identified.

But, recent judicial orders and affidavits filed in the Supreme Court by the State Government paint an entirely different picture,” said campaigners from BMIC (Nice) Viruddha Janandolana.

Now, in the 17th year of the project’s implementation, the government and the courts are noticing that the lands required for the project are yet to be identified.

“Also, there is no clarity regarding the alignment of the roads of the project, location of townships as well as other components of the project,” they said.

They added that such a realisation has come after more than 20,145 acre of private land has been notified as against 13,237 acre originally stated to be required.

A public meeting will be held at Freedom Park on December 20 to rejuvenate the campaign.