BMIC receives a shot in arm

BMIC receives a shot in arm
HC Dismisses Petitions; All Eyes Now On SC Case
The Times of India

Bangalore: The Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) received a boost on Friday when the Karnataka High Court dismissed a set of petitions against the project.

The high court upheld the acquisition of land by KIADB while dismissing the petition of the land owners challenging the acquisition. Chief Justice N K Sodhi and Justice B Padmaraj also noted that since the matter is before the Supreme Court, it would be inappropriate to deal with it.
In another case, the same division Bench directed the residents of Gottigere village who had challenged the KIADB acquisition to appeal to the KIADB. The villagers had challenged the acquisition saying that the curvature of the elevated road to be built over the Gottigere tank would obstruct the flow of water into the 140-acre tank.

It may be recalled that the BMIC had sought to build a road over the tank and the villagers sought legal help to save the tank. The BMIC changed its plan and said an elevated road would be built over the tank.

All eyes are now on the December 6 hearing of the case in the Supreme Court. The apex court will also hear a Karnataka government appeal against a high court order. The high court had, on May 3, held that the BMIC project, covering 20,000 acres, had to be implemented expeditiously as per the original plan. It had asked the state government to prosecute the chief secretary and another senior official and withhold the project documents.

On May 13, the apex court stayed the high court order on the project. However, on July 18, the Supreme Court said work on the Bangalore-Mysore Expressway project could continue but land earmarked for the project could not be alienated.

Zip away from Dec.
BMIC will throw open the first portion of the proposed expressway to traffic in December. This will link Kanakapura Road and Kengeri junction on Mysore Road. “We are done 95%. Rain delayed the work. We will be ready by December-end to open the road,’’ company officials said.