NICE to sue detractors

NICE wants to sue detractors
To File Defamation Suit Against Gowda Over BMIC Issue
The Times of India

Bangalore: Armed with the Karnataka High Court’s judgment on Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) in its favour, the project’s promoters, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), on Tuesday said a defamation suit will be filed against former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.

They also demanded Gowda’s son, public works minister H.D. Revanna’s resignation.
NICE managing director Ashok Kheny told reporters here: “I will take legal action against all politicians and officials who maligned or defamed the project. God has given me an opportunity to clean up the system and I will use it.’’

On Gowda, Kheny said: “Of course I will take action against him. I will also act against the KIADB chief who lied about this project and is sitting on my compensation money for farmers.’’

He was categorical about Revanna’s resignation: “He misled the state cabinet and attempted to do the same with the court. Revanna must resign. I don’t know why chief secretary K.K. Misra, an honest and upright man, signed that affidavit.’’

He also demanded the immediate resignation of PWD adviser K.C. Reddy, who heads the state’s expert panel on BMIC.

Even chief minister N. Dharam Singh, who championed BMIC as PW minister in the Krishna government, was not spared. Kheny said: “I leave it to his conscience. He was with me for four-and-a-half years on the project, if it was a fraud, what was he doing?’’

Calling the judgment positive, Kheny said: “Now all businessmen know they do not have to bend to political blackmail or be hostage to individual whims.’’

NICE has 1,035 acres from the government and needs about 5,500 acres for the first phase.

“We are spending Rs 2 crore a day on construction. The first stretches of road will be thrown open by Aug. 15. By Aug. 2007, the distance between Vidhana Soudha and Mysore palace can be covered in one-and-a-half hours,’’ he outlined.

The 10-mile run

The project has had a very long journey — 10 years of delays and doubts. Here’s a timeline:

February, 1995: MoU signed by chief minister H.D. Deve Gowda with Governor William Weld of Massachusetts, USA as part of sister state agreement; consortium involves VHB (USA), SAB engineering (USA) and Kalyani Group (India). Includes seven townships.
November, 1995: GO based on the MoU (PWD 32 CSR 95) authorising acquisition of 18,313 acres for the highway and five townships. 1996: NICE is formed as the project implementation company, leaving out VHB as a partner. Consortium hands over the project to this company.
April, 1997: Framework agreement signed with chief minister J.H. Patel. Land requirement increased to 20,193 acres in an unsigned annexure citing need for additional land for peripheral, link roads and expressway.
1997: Major C.R. Ramesh, as PWD secretary files affidavit in the Karnataka High Court, upholding land requirement and need for the project, in response to a petition by Somashekar Reddy.
October, 1998: Agreement between KIADB and NICE, land increased to 23,846 acres.
July 2000: Public hearings on objections. August 2002: Environmental clearance from Union ministry of environment and forests. August 2002: Toll-franchise and land lease agreements signed between NICE and Karnataka government. June/November, 2003: KIADB sells 30 acres to NICE, which in turn sells it to IMTMA.
February/April, 2004: Deve Gowda appeals to Governor T.N. Chaturvedi to intervene.
March, 2004: Start of project construction. April, 2004: Governor advises chief secretary to take appropriate action on excess land.
May, 2004: KIADB special DC notifies 29,258 acres.
November, 2004: K.C. Reddy Committee constituted after issue is raised in Legislature.
December, 2004: Committee interim report submitted, stating 2,450 acres allocation is excess; cabinet accepts this. March, 2005: Committee final report submitted, giving final land requirement figure as 17,809 acres. Cabinet upholds this and chief secretary K.K. Misra files affidavit based on this.
May 3, 2005: Karnataka High Court says CS’s affidavit is false, orders expedition of the BMIC project and criminal prosecution of Misra.

NICE’s believe it or not!
Ten years is a lifetime for a project gestation. People move, cities change, governments certainly change at least twice if not more, but NICE has been around. During its wait, it has witnessed some amazing things such as 341 IAS officers have had some interaction with the project Eight chief secretaries have come and gone in Karnataka Four chief ministers have occupied the hot seat 10,500 government approvals had to be got An independent regulatory authority was set up 336 writ petitions filed by land losers were duly disposed of, some in favour and some against NICE Seen a total of 5 PILs.