Legislation on BMIC hangs fire

Legislation on BMIC hangs fire
Deccan Herald

At last, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) succeeded in carrying out its mission on Friday. But what about Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy who was hell-bent on enacting legislation to take over the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project?

At last, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) succeeded in carrying out its mission on Friday. But what about Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy who was hell-bent on enacting legislation to take over the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project?

Through the Public Works Department (PWD), the chief minister issued a letter to BMIC managing director Ashok Kheny that land would be released to NICE as per the court directions. Does it imply that there would be no legislation to take over the project or the ‘excess land’?

There were no replies to these questions from the chief minister on Friday, as he chose not to talk about the issue for the next few days.

According to sources, the proposed BMIC Bill will not be introduced in the forthcoming legislature session. However, the JD(S) will come out with a handbook on the reasons behind the party’s demand to introduce such a Bill.

According to political circles, the chief minister, by making the PWD issue the letter, has guarded himself from attracting contempt of court proceedings.

SC ruling

With the Supreme Court resuming after vacation on July 3, Kumaraswamy wants to play it safe from his side, sources said. The apex court on April 20 had ruled that the BMIC project should go ahead “within the letter and spirit’’ of the original framework agreement.

It is to be seen how the PWD interprets the directions of the court that “required land” be allotted to the project. The PWD may sanction 20,195 acres for the project as per the framework agreement signed in April 1997. This was upheld by the High Court in the Somashekar Reddy case in August 1998. All land subsequently added to the framework may not be allotted, the sources said.

For instance, seven interchanges have been planned along the 41-km peripheral ring road stretch. While the average land for each interchange according to the agreement is 75 acres, NICE is learnt to have claimed 300 acre per interchange. The PWD may restrict the allotment to 75 acres as stipulated in the agreement.

“It will be like killing two birds with one stone. By such a move, the CM will be silencing the BJP’s stand that ‘excess land’ should be given back to farmers, as the question of excess land will not arise at all. At the same time, NICE’s demand for the required land will be also not met,” a minister said.

Sources said the chief minister and his deputy B S Yediyurappa discussed the issue on Friday. Both may arrive at a consensus by Sunday. Kumaraswamy may convene a meeting of the JD(S) and the BJP MLAs. “There will be a common approach to the issue and this will be reflected in the legislature session beginning on June 19,” sources said.

The issue has taken a community angle, too. Political circles are rife with talks that Kumaraswamy, by allotting land to NICE, was trying to placate Lingayat community who feel that the chief minister was against the promoter of project, Ashok Kheny, a Lingayat.