First phase of BMIC project inaugurated

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Bangalore, June 16: A section of the first phase of the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project was inaugurated at a colourful function on the outskirts of the city today, amidst reverberating drum beats and performance of hundreds of folk dancers.

Over 50 children, attired in different costumes representing all states, inaugurated the multicrore project by cutting the ribbon in the presence of elderly women who had contributed their land for the project.

As Project Promoters Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) put in its media advertisements today, ''Finally after 4152 days of committed and dedicated work as per law and after going through seven Prime Ministers, 5 Karnataka Chief Ministers, five PWD Ministers, nine Chief Secretaries, eight Urban Development Department Secretaries and 10 Infrastructure Department secretaries and over 400 IAS officers, a portion of the peoples expressway was ready and thrown open for public today.

NICE Chairman Baba Kalyani lit the traditional lamp to throw open a 9.2 km stretch of the expressway for public use.

Hundreds of farmers who had given up their land for the project as well as industralists thronged the venue to took part in the inaugural of the 9.2 km stretch, connecting Mysore road to Kanakapura road. The farmers were ferried to the venue in over 200 buses.

Apprehensions that trouble would be created at the function proved wrong as the villagers from the nearby Hemmigepura and Talaghattapura villages, who were agitating against the project, were conspicuous by their absence. The villagers had been protesting against the project demanding, among other things, higher compensation for their land and repair of roads and borewells damaged by the company while constructing the 9.2 km stretch. The agitation took an ugly turn when a section of the stretch was dug up allegedly by the villagers.

While the villagers denied that they had damaged the expressway, the promoters called it a political vendetta.

A few Congress leaders, including former Minister D K Shivkumar and a couple of legislators, were seen at the venue.

No one from the ruling Janata Dal(S)-BJP coalition attended the function as the government was at loggerheads with NICE over the project.

The promoters of the project seemed to have done their home work well as the event passed off peacefully, though just a few days ago a section of the farmers had protested against the project. However, today, hundreds of farmers, including those who had given up their land for the project, attended the function. NICE had invited two women, 93-year-old Sharadamma and 86-year-old Ramakka, who had given up their lands for the project, as chief guests for the function.

Speaking to reporters just before the function, Ramakka said she had wilfully given away little over four acres of land for the project beacause she wanted the people to have good roads and modern facilities. ''I have nine children, 24 grandchildren and a great grandchild. I want people to get the benefit of such highways,'' she added.

Sharadamma said she had given away 4.5 acres of land for the project.

Javare Gowda, a farmer from Madhavapura near Mandya district, said ''The expressway project is ok as we believe that it will benefit all. But we oppose tooth and nail, the Eco Tourism project they want to promote along the expressway near our village. Most of the families in my village are going to lose their land due to this project. The KIADB has already served us notices. But still there is some time left until the construction progresses from the Bangalore side. We are destined to lose some of our lands and I think we cannot do anything about it,'' he added.

However, Venkataramanappa (60), a farmer from Chennaveeranapalya near the first phase, was quite happy with the project. ''Before there was not much demand for lands in this area and hardly any one from outside was ready to buy it. Now the rate has shot up, every acre of land now commands a price between Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore. It dosen't matter that I lost a part of my land due to the project.''

UNI

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