HIGH COURT

Notices to State, Centre on BMIC project

BANGALORE, DHNS:

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday ordered issue of notices to the State and Union governments, several former ministers, IAS officers and others on a public interest litigation filed by two MLAs, who sought a CBI investigation into the manner in which the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project was approved.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice S R Nayak and Justice H N Nagamohan Das passed the order on a petition filed by Chikkanayakanahalli MLA Mr J C Madhuswamy, Bagepalli MLA Mr Sriram Reddy and a social worker from Bangalore Mr S Munegowda.

The petitioners have alleged that neither the Cabinet sub-committee in-charge of vetting the corridor project nor the high-level committee had, at any point of time, worked out the basic cost of the project, the price to build the four-lane expressway between Bangalore and Mysore, the financial position of the company which had been entrusted with executing the project, etc.

Though the Government, in 1995, had signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium, which included a US-based company, the final agreement was signed with the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Limited (NICE), which had no connection with the US-based company, the petitioners alleged.

They have also alleged that the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) had illegally acquired thousands of acres of land in and around Bangalore city, which were not necessary for the project, in favour of NICE. And the company was now selling the land to private parties, they charged.

Further, the legislators also claimed that the Ministry of Environment had cleared the project without applying its mind. The petitioners contended that the proposed corridor would affect the elephant corridor between Bangalore and Mandya, besides causing serious damages to the Kokkarebellur bird sanctuary located at Srirangapatna near Mysore.

The land coming under the Thippagondanahalli catchment area has also been acquired for the project by violating the government’s order, which stated that no developmental activities should be taken up in the TG Halli catchment area, the petitioners argued and sought action against the officers and former ministers who violated the law while approving land acquisition and the project.