'BMIC project killed at the cost of citizens, environment': Karnataka High Court tells govt to have a re-look

'The apex court has held that five townships are to be developed in the designated locations only and there can be no deviations by the project proponents'

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has come down heavily on Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprise Limited (NECE) and the State authorities for killing the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project “at the cost of the citizens and the environment”.

A division bench comprising Justices D K Singh and Venkatesh Naik T directed the State government to take a re-look at the project by discarding the old one.

The bench made these observations while dismissing a petition seeking sites as promised in lieu of about eight acres of land acquired in Kommaghatta village, Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, for the project. The court said the petitioner, having accepted the compensation by executing the agreement under section 29 (2) of the KIAD Act, would not be entitled for any more compensation or interest.

The BMIC project (framework agreement of 1997) was to construct an expressway between Bengaluru and Mysuru, a peripheral road connecting national highways on the outskirts of Bengaluru and link roads. Apart from the expressway and the link roads, the project was supposed to construct five townships as approved by the State government.

“As of today, the population of Bengaluru would be around 1.4 crore. This ambitious project and planning as delineated in the PTR (Project Technical Report) has remained only on paper, even after 30 years for various reasons, including the large-scale corruption, the political and bureaucratic interferences, alleged violations of commitments by both sides and it is informed that out of 111-km Bengaluru-Mysuru infrastructure road, only 1 km has been constructed by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise. It has constructed a 47-km peripheral road from which it collects toll tax to its profit. But the ambitious project of such a public interest to decongest the city and to develop new satellite township has remained only on papers,” the bench said.

The division bench noted that the apex court has held that the five townships are to be developed in the designated locations only and there can be no deviations by the project proponents. The division bench said it would be in the interest of the city, citizens, environment and the future, to have a re-look at the project, discarding the old one. 

“We also note that the project proponents are collecting huge tolls by constructing the peripheral roads and toll plazas. However, the Bangalore- Mysore Expressway and Infrastructure Corridor has remained only on the papers. The project proponents are sitting on a huge land bank, but without its proper usage as the expressway has not yet been constructed and there is no sign of it being constructed in future. Therefore, we direct the State government to re-look the project and take appropriate steps in this regard,” the bench said.