BMIC not at the cost of farmers: CM

BMIC not at the cost of farmers: CM
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday announced that he would not allow Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) to “grab” agricultural land worth Rs 50,000 - Rs 60,000 crore.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony of the Bangalore Bio-2006, the country's largest biotech show, Kumaraswamy pointed out that NICE, executing the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project, started with a capital investment of just Rs. 70 but it had acquired about Rs 50,000 – Rs 60,000 crore worth farm land at the cost of the poor farmers.

He said it was no secret that a large number of farmers who had lost their land to the BMIC project were feeling let down. Stating that his government was determined to provide justice to the affected farmers, the Chief Minister said the government would not remain a mute spectator to any injustice meted to farmers in the name of development by “some vested interests”.

Kumaraswamy also maintained that it would cost a maximum of Rs 800 crore to develop an expressway of international standards and he made it clear that as Chief Minister of the state, he would not allow NICE to possess nearly Rs 60,000 crore worth of land.

Defending the move to takeover the excess land from BMIC, the Chief Minister said the proposed legislation was aimed at helping the farming community who had lost their valuable and cultivable land to NICE at a throwaway price. “The Government is not taking the BMIC as a prestige issue,” he added.

On the possible legal hurdles that might come in the way of State's interest to bring in a legislation, Kumaraswamy preferred a public debate on the issue, if necessary, and said the government would take into account all aspects including all the previous judicial decisions with regard to BMIC before bringing a comprehensive legislation.