Govt. offers land to NICE

Govt. offers land to NICE
Vijay TImes

Bangalore: In a face-saving move, the State government on Thursday night announced that it would provide the necessary land required by NICE for the BMIC project.

In a letter to Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises, the government said it was willing to provide the land as per Supreme Court directives, and the company could proceed with the work.

The announcement came on the heels of a notice by the Public Works Department to NICE, telling it not to go ahead with the opening of a peripheral road on Friday, till it is inspected by the PWD authorities.

But NICE brushed aside the notice and said it would not stop it.

Official sources and NICE Managing Director Ashok Kheny said that Public Works Department Principal Secretary P B Mahishi had written to the company not to go ahead with the programme, saying it would not be in accordance with the original framework agreement between NICE and the government.

"We are not going to follow it. Why should I stop after working for it for 11 years," Kheny shot back, accusing the government of misinterpreting the contract. He said NICE would go ahead with the "soft opening" of Mysore road to Kanakapura Road section of the peripheral road, with police protection if necessary.

Final decision in 2 days: Yedi

Meanwhile in Mysore, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday said a final decision to put an end to the confusion over the project will be taken at the coordination committee meeting comprising the Chief Minister, presidents of both the parties and a senior leader from each party within two days. He told reporters that the government, which wished to redeem 2,400 acres of excess land from Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), was not against industrialists. It did not wish to send a wrong signal at a time when investors from across the globe were evincing keen interest in setting up industries in the State, he said. "The issue will not be a threat to the coalition government. Proper soultion had to be found after discarding all egos," the DyCM said.