‘BMIC work to begin from Mysore end next week’

‘BMIC work to begin from Mysore end next week’
Deccan Herald

NICE Managing Director Ashok Kheny on Monday forecast that investments will flow into the State once the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project is completed.

NICE Managing Director Ashok Kheny on Monday forecast that investments will flow into the State once the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project is completed.

“Many companies, though interested, are not investing in the State because of lack of basic infrastructure. Even Infosys shifted its special economic zone project to Chennai for want of infrastructure,” Mr Kheny, who arrived here last night, told a press conference.

Kheny, who was supposed to inspect the land for commencing BMIC work from Mysore end, put off the inspection at the last minute.

Expressing confidence that BMIC will be able to attract investments, Mr Kheny said BMIC is one of the basic infrastructure projects that was needed for the State. “The value of land around BMIC is sure to go up.”

Mr Kheny noted that only BMIC project remained among the 45 major projects sanctioned simultaneously by the then government.

‘Land sanctioned’

He announced that the BMIC work from Mysore end will commence next week. “MUDA has sanctioned the necessary land for us. We need co-operation from the people here to start the work,” he said.

“As per the agreement, the government was supposed to hand over 20,193 acres of land for the work, but it has so far given only 6,700 acres. Personally, I have respect for Mr H D Deve Gowda, but it is sad that the project has run into a controversy,” Kheny replied to queries.

‘No Godfather’

Stating that he has no ‘godfather’ in politics, the NICE MD said, “The people of villages are my Godfathers.”

“The Congress party comes to my support when JD (S) is in power, and JD (S) comes to my aid when Congress is in power. But I do not want politics,” he said.

Mr Kheny added, “When Mr H D Deve Gowda signed the BMIC agreement, former chief minister S M Krishna had said that Mr Gowda and Mr H D Kumaraswamy are my partners. But after JD (S) came to power, Mr Deve Gowda said S M Krishna, R V Deshpande, D K Shivakumar and H K Patil are my partners.”

“The NICE company is exclusively owned by me,” he said.

Denying reports of hosting dinner for the BJP MLAs, Mr Kheny clarified that the MLAs wanted certain facts about the project and so I went to them to share the information.

“I have not taken the help of caste politics on the issue. I am a Lingayat, but my wife is a Christian. My cook is a Muslim. I am a secular man... In fact four religions are followed in my home,” he said, adding that as many as 149 villages lie along the stretch of the corridor project. “So I am making efforts to provide certain basic facilities to them.”