NICE START TO ROAD AHEAD

NICE START TO ROAD AHEAD
Govt Keeps Off; Kheny For Talks
The Times of India

Bangalore: It was a public carnival marred by the shadow of the bitter battle of the last few days. Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor first stretch inaugural on Friday went off without any untoward incident amid heavy police presence and absence of the state government machinery.

In keeping with the “people’s event’’ tag, amidst folk dances and traditional poojas, two school children — Prathibha and Komal Gurudev — cut the ribbon at 1 pm. Two project-displaced old women — 93-year-old C Sharadamma and 86-year-old Ramakka — were present to mark the inauguration of the first 8.2 km stretch of the 41 km BMIC peripheral road.

The four-laned road — with a specified width of 75 metres — is now open for public traffic just beyond Talghattapura on Kanakapura Road to about a km beyond Kengeri on Mysore Road. The distance of about 23 km through the city is now reduced to 8.2 km and can be covered in six minutes flat. Till the peripheral road is completed, there is no toll on the road, stretches of which are still being made.

With the very heavy security, there was no sign of the protests and road digging over the last few days. The only politician present was Congress MLA D K Shiva Kumar, who claimed that he was there as a “humble farmer.’’ IT honcho (Infosys head of human resource) T A Mohandas Pai, also present, lent his support to the project and blasted the state government’s stand.

Still, the mood is optimistic, with chief minister H D Kumaraswamy directing the public works department to send a letter stating they will obey the Supreme Court order on expediting the project — with the proviso that NICE should also obey it.

Kheny told reporters after the inauguration: “The situation is very confusing, but I believe the CM has said the land we need should be handed over to us. If that is done, we will open the 41 km peripheral road by August 15 and complete the entire Bangalore-Mysore stretch by December 2007.’’

The company softened its stand of “no debate with the government.’’ Kheny said he was “always open to discussions’’ with Kumaraswamy. “A public debate is not necessary as the Supreme Court has dealt with all issues. But if he gives us just a little time, I will explain to him how this project is beneficial,’’ he stated. But the bitterness of the last few days was very much evident, for Kheny added: “I hope Kumaraswamy will not say I am trying to buy him when I ask for discussion time.’’

The government’s takeover plan got a sharp retort: “If the government wants to take our your house are you game for it? Every citizen has to fight for his rights!’’ The notice on the inaugural-eve asking NICE not to open the road till the government does a quality check — as per the framework agreement — has caused more bitterness. But Kheny, who swore by the quality of his road, chose to deflect these questions with a recommendation to Kumaraswamy to read Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth.

“Macbeth commits a murder and then has to keep committing murders to cover up the first one. This is the state the CM is in now,’’ he stated.