Battle over B'lore-Mysore corridor proj rages on

New Delhi, May 20: The ambitious Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) Project has run into roadblocks following the feud between the Karnataka government and the contractor M/s Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE).

Both the parties were engaged in litigation and counter litigation. While the state government alleges that the project company was indulging in real estate business at the cost of land allotted for the project, NICE charges the government with creating hurdles in the way of implementation of the project.

BMIC project was aimed at decongesting the present expressway between the two cities.

The Supreme court had last year imposed a cost of Rs five lakh on the state government for indulging in frivolous litigation to stall the project under chich 8 new townships have to be developed.

In its fresh application before the apex court the H D Kumaraswamy led government has sought permission to conduct a fact finding enquiry to ascertain how 2,289 acres of extra saleable land, having a market value of Rs 30,000 crores, was made available to the project company.

It also prayed to the court to permit the enquiry commission headed by retired Delhi High Court Chief Justice B C Patel to go ahead with the judicial inquiry. However, it was denied by the apex court.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, and Justices B P Singh and G P Mathur on Friday issued notice on one petition filed by NICE and dismissed as withdrawn the other with liberty to approach the high court where the case is already pending.

The contract was signed during Congress regime in 1998. Trouble started after the change of government in the state. Former Prime Minister and father of the present Chief Minister, Mr H D Deve Gowda has publicly criticised the company for indulging in real estate business by acquiring land in excess of the genuine requirement. and ran into trouble with the opposition from the former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda who is the father of the present chief minister of the state.

UNI