`Excess land' to be reclaimed

`Excess land' to be reclaimed

The Hindu

2,450 acres of land to be `taken away' from NICE

# Infrastructure Development and Land Reforms Bill will not be in defiance of the Supreme Court: Kumaraswamy
# It is likely to be introduced in the legislature in the coming session
# Law is being thought of to ensure justice for farmers

BANGALORE: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said on Wednesday that there was no going back on the decision to table the Karnataka Infrastructure Development and Land Reforms Bill, which would facilitate reclamation of the 2,450 acres of "excess land" acquired by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Ltd. (NICE) for the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project.

The Government plans to introduce the Bill in the coming session of the legislature, which is tentatively scheduled to begin on June 19.

Mr. Kumaraswamy told presspersons after the inauguration of Bangalore Bio 2006 that the Bill would not be in defiance of the Supreme Court judgment in favour of NICE, and the Government would not incur the wrath of the Court for bringing in the law.

Adoption of the Bill would make it possible for the Government to cancel the 1997 Framework Agreement for BMIC project, he added.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the law was being thought of to ensure justice for the farmers whose lands had been acquired by the company at low rates. "We want to ensure that the company, which has invested barely a few lakh rupees, does not end up making thousands of crores without properly compensating the farmers," he added.

The move to adopt the Bill came after the Supreme Court, in its April 20 order, took the Government to task for obstructing the project.

Draft approved

Special Correspondent reports:

Sources in the State Secretariat told The Hindu here on Wednesday that the draft of the comprehensive legislation, which was ready, had been vetted by legal experts. They said that if needed, changes would be made in the Bill before it was introduced in the Legislative Assembly. Although the proposed legislation was not aimed at NICE, it was expected to affect the company, which had sought over 20,000 acres.

The draft of the proposed legislation was discussed at the Cabinet meeting held on Sunday. It was also discussed at a Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday night soon after the conclusion of the special session of the legislature. The Bill was to have been tabled during the special session, but it was not, for lack of time after discussions on the office-of profit Bill.

Although NICE has repeatedly said that it has not sought excess land, the Government is of the view that acquisition of nearly 2,450 acres has been approved. While the Bangalore Development Authority is yet to commence work on sections of the peripheral road assigned to it, NICE started work in February 2004.