Corridor project delayed, thanks to State Govt

Corridor project delayed, thanks to State Govt
Deccan Herald

The Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP) was expected to be taken up from both ends — Bangalore and Mysore. But the Government has neither allotted land to the project promoters from Mysore end nor handed over the land required for completing the first phase from Bangalore end.

Forty-one kms of peripheral road, 12 kms of expressway and 9 kms of link road (BHEL factory on Mysore Road to Sompura, starting point of the expressway) covering a total of 62 kms, one township and 10 inter-changes were scheduled to be completed in the first phase by August 2005, if the Government had allotted a total of 5,600 acres of land. The Government has so far allotted only 2,400 acres of land for the first phase.

Not a single acre has been sanctioned towards construction of the proposed township. “We have fully utilised whatever land has been allotted to us”, said a representative of NICE company.

The delay in handing over land to the project promoters, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) Limited has resulted in the project cost shooting up.

The total cost of the entire project, which was Rs 2000-2,200 crore has already shot up to Rs 2,850 crore now “due to delay in handing over land on time”, the company representative said.

Sources said that vested interests were delaying theproject as properties of some politicians and officials will be taken over for the peripheral road. “If the land for the entire project is handed over to us, we are hopeful of completing the project in 20 months”, the company representative said.

When contacted, Principal Secretary (Public Works Department) P B Mahishi told Deccan Herald : “We are giving land to the project promoters in a phased manner. Land has been handed over based on the project technical report”. Six hundred acres of land was given to the project promoters after the High Court judgement, he said. “In some places, acquisition has been completed, while in some places, it is yet to be completed”, he added.

Of the 62 kms taken up in the first phase, 49 kms has been completed so far (6 kms of expressway, 6 kms of link road and 37 kms on peripheral road). The 9-km stretch of the peripheral road connecting Kanakapura Road (Thalagattapura) and Kengeri (Mysore Road) is planned to be opened for vehicular movement by April-end. A toll will be collected on this stretch once it is opened for vehicular movement (the proposed toll will be Re 1 per km for cars; 50 ps per km for two-wheelers).

Work is on at a brisk pace on the peripheral road and the expressway, a visit to the project site revealed. The Peripheral Road connecting Magadi Road to Mysore Road (9.6 km) and another stretch from Kanakapura Road to Bannerghatta Road (5.5 km stretch) are expected to be completed before August this year, the company representative said.

According to engineers at the project site, around six kms of the expressway starting from Sompura near Kengeri has been completed. Another six kms is planned to be completed by August, which will provide connectivity to Bidadi. Once the 12-km expressway is completed, it will be opened for vehicular movement. Motorists can use the peripheral road and expressway by paying a toll to reach the Bangalore-Mysore highway near Bidadi, the representative added.

NICE has spent Rs 750 crore so far, the company’s representative said. The company has deposited Rs 83.5 crore with the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) towards payment of compensation to farmers for land acquisition.

Of the Rs 83.5 crore, Rs 60 crore has been disbursed as compensation so far, he said. The compensation amount varied from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 24 lakh per acre depending on the area, the representative said.

PROGRESS CARD

*37 km of 41-km Peripheral Road (phase-I) completed

*9 km stretch of peripheral road connecting Thalagattapura on Kanakapura Road & Kengeri on Mysore Road to be opened for vehicular movement by April-end

*6-km of 12 km expressway completed

*80% of 9.1 km of link road from BHEL junction to Sompura (starting point of expressway) completed