NICE did not get ‘excess’ land from govt

NICE did not get ‘excess’ land from govt
Farmers Are Worst Affected By Indecision On BMIC
The Times of India

Bangalore: The debate over recovering the ‘excess’ land from the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project is heated, but government records show that the area specified had not been handed over to the project promoters at all.

Contrary to claims made by the public works department that an ‘excess’ of 4,800 acres around Bangalore and Bidadi have been given to Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), records show that till date only 1,777 acres have been handed over. This is less than the land NICE is supposed to get for the peripheral and link roads around the city under the framework agreement of 1997 — 2,471 acres.

“Land has been exclusively given for the road and the interchanges. So far, no extra land has been given to the company. Some land is still due to them,’’ sources said.

Despite a harsh Supreme Court judgment in April 2006 ordering the expedition of the project, not one acre of land has been notified since. Project-related officials are waiting for the government to take a concrete decision on whether the project is on or off.

Sources said: “Land acquisition agency Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board is awaiting clearance from the public works department to issue final notifications. PWD will sit on the file till CM H D Kumaraswamy gives the go-ahead.’’ As of today, state has notified and acquired 2,583 acres of land up to the CM’s constituency, Ramanagaram. Of this, 806 acres considered ‘excess’ is still with the KIADB.

However, the worst hit by the situation is not NICE, but the farmers whose land has been notified and ‘frozen’ right up to Mysore. Krishnappa, a farmer, of Doddakuntenahalli village, off the proposed BMIC, is spending all his time hanging around offices in Bangalore hoping for a solution.

Nine years ago, his half-acre plot was notified for the project. But there has been no action since. Result: He can neither sell his land or grow crops on it, nor has he been given compensation!

Krishnappa shares the same fate as thousands of other farmers who are waiting for the government’s decision on BMIC. Of the approximately 20,825 acres preliminarily notified for the project, compensation has been given for 1,048 acres and 38 guntas. Sources said: “Farmers all along the BMIC route have been put through untold hardships. Only a quick decision — either pay compensation for the land or give it up — will resolve this.’’

Acre faker 4,800 PWD claims handed to NICE 1,777 Land handed over according to records 2,471 Land for NICE in 1997 framework agreement 2,583 Notified and acquired by govt 806 Considered ‘excess’ still with KIADB 20,825 Preliminarily notified for project 1,048 Compensation given so far Figures in acres