Excess confusion over expressway land

Excess confusion over expressway land
JD(S) Hopes Review Petition Will Clear Air; NICE Defends Its Stand
The Times of India

Bangalore: With the JD(S) resolve to fight out the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor issue in courts, the state government’s hopes hinge on a review petition on BMIC “excess’’ land.

The Supreme Court, on April 20, directed the state government to hand over all land required for the project as per the 1997 framework agreement. The state is now arguing that some land, not specified in the agreement, has been notified “in excess’’ for the project.

Every inch of the so-called “excess’’ 2,450 acres 25.75 guntas — 743 acres 28 guntas of government land, 1,706 acres 35.75 guntas of private land — has been colour-mapped and identified survey numberwise. The state will submit these maps, which show that the land under dispute is often far from the BMIC road.

The maps show that even in places where there are no interchanges — that may require lands at a distance from the road — land far from the road has been acquired for it. “This was not part of the framework agreement, but was given subsequently on whim. We want the apex court to see where discrepancies have taken place,’’ officials said.

Project company Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) representatives contended that in several “unconnected’’ places, government land had been given to them to quarry for stone. “In other places, if two maps of neighbouring villages are placed next to each other, the land acquired matches. Also, in places where land has been acquired in the interior, it accommodates villages or lakes,’’ a representative said. The company contended that the government is claiming “excess’’ land in places where bureaucrats and politicians own land.

“If our intention was real estate, we would have sought road frontage, not land in interiors,’’ the representative added.

The government is now seeking to redo the maths: “For example, land allotted to NICE in Bidadi township — as per the framework agreement — was arbitrarily shifted to around Bangalore city. Now, the government will give the original land in Bidadi and take back land around Bangalore,’’ sources said.

NICE, however, pointed to the Supreme Court judgment, that says it does not consider the Bangalore land as excess. “As we have pointed out in the earlier part of our judgment, the project is an integrated infrastructure developmental project and not merely a highway..... As an integrated project, it may require the acquisition and transfer of lands even away from the main alignment of road,’’ the verdict said.

Landscape
Government stand: Land unconnected to the project has been given. NICE stand: All land necessary, excess bogey raised to protect bureaucrats, politicians’ land. Supreme Court verdict: The land is not in excess.