Farmers to get back excess land from NICE

No going back on project, State would become a laughing stock

This came as a rejoinder by the chief minister to the charges made by JD(S) leader H D Revanna in the Legislative Assembly that the Government has given excess land to NICE, the promoters of the BMIC project. The chief minister said the KIADB had notified 13,237 acres of land for the project and later, it was increased to 18,701 acres. The Government is committed to denotify the excess land. But he did not clarify how much of excess land would be returned to the farmers.

When Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah insisted that the Government should take over the project and order a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the sanctioning of the land, Yeddyurappa said there is no going back on the project. In case if it is done the State would become a laughing stock, he said.

To the charges made against him by Revanna, Yeddyurappa said that the project is the result of the sin committed by Appa-Makkalu (meaning Deve Gowda and his sons). “Why are you blaming me? I am only continuing the project which was begun by the previous governments. There seems to be certain confusion which can be discussed and cleared. We should put an end to debates on the NICE,” he said.

Provide detailed drawings

This apart, the PWD in its letter dated February 6, 2010 has directed NICE to furnish detailed drawings with cadastral survey plans of both the road and township components of the project, besides information on the extent of land required. The details should be duly superimposed on the alignment approved in the ODP, 2004, the letter stated.

PWD Principal Secretary in the letter, circulated to the media in the Assembly, stated that the Government has provided lands to the promoter on the basis of the alignment specified in the the Chief Secretary’s note dated July 31, 1996. But the court has later directed to implement the project as per the ODP alignment. “Hence, the information called by the Government is very much essential for providing land to the company.” The letter further stated that it will be contempt of court if the promoter fails to provide these information at the earliest as it will delay the project implementation.