Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project
Work on expressway to begin soon at both ends

DH News Service
BANGALORE, July 15

The work on the proposed Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project comprising the expressway, would begin soon from both its ends — Bangalore and Mysore — simultaneously to ensure speedy completion, Public Works Minister N Dharam Singh informed the Legislative Assembly today.

In the first-phase of works, a two-lane expressway would be developed while the additional lanes would be developed in the next phase, the minister said while replying to Mr Appachchu Ranjan (BJP) during question hour. The proposed expressway comprises four lanes with a provision for extending up to six lanes, Mr Dharam Singh said even as BJP member Suresh Kumar walked out not satisfied with the reply of the minister. The project was in the final stages of implementation with the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (Nice) which will implement the project, set to achieve financial closure, he said.

It would take about 10 years, from the day of achieving financial closure, for the completion of the entire project, he said and noted that it would be possible to cover the distance from Bangalore to Mysore in just about 75 minutes after the completion of the expressway.

Arguing that the project would go a long way in helping the development of Mysore as well as decongesting Bangalore city, he made a plea that the project should not be politicised and should not be bracketed as “anti-farmer” without logic.
He claimed that there was no confusion over the land acquisition for the project as the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Union Environment & Forest Ministry had cleared the project after considering all its pros and cons. Answering a query, he maintained that as per norms there is no need for getting environmental clearance for the construction of townships, which is part of the BMIC project.

On providing compensation to the farmers whose land has been acquired for the project, the minister said the compensation would be on par with prevailing market rates. The amount would be borne by the Nice company and it has been directed to deposit a sum of Rs 250 crore in the first phase for disbursing compensation to farmers.

However, Opposition BJP member Suresh Kumar, along with other members, expressed apprehensions over the project. Mr Kumar alleged that nearly 3,000 to 4,000 acres of government land had been leased out to the Nice company at an unbelivable annual price of Rs 10 per acre. He argued that the project was not suitable for the State and demanded that the State government should concentrate on other alternatives like convincing the Centre to implement the twin-track electric rail project between Bangalore and Mysore, widening the existing Bangalore-Mysore state higway and upgrading the Kanakapura Road which links Bangalore and Mysore.

When the minister defended the project and recalled that it was the previous Janata Dal government which had conceived it, Mr Suresh Kumar demanded that Mr Dharam Singh should not speak like the spokesman of the (Nice) company. Ultimately, the member staged a walkout when the minister asserted that the project cannot be dropped.