Now, villagers up against BMIC

Now, villagers up against BMIC
Deccan Herald

Even as controversies continue to plague the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) regarding the ‘excess land’, there was tension on ground zero, the project site near Kengeri, on Saturday evening.

Even as controversies continue to plague the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) regarding the ‘excess land’, there was tension on ground zero, the project site near Kengeri, on Saturday evening. Over 200 farmers of Hemmigepura village dug up the road and threatened to damage the newly asphalted BMIC road if the ‘promises’ were not fulfiled. Their main grouse was that a two kilometre service road was ignored by NICE and they wanted that the road should be repaired, before work progressed on the corridor.

The villagers also alleged that the borewells had gone defunct because of the on-going BMIC road works, resulting in shortage of drinking water in many villages surrounding Hemmigepura. They demanded that the borewells should be repaired. They also alleged that the BMIC road had blocked the approach road to a Dargha. The villagers damaged a stretch of about 50 feet in the road between Hemmigapura and Konasandra which is scheduled to be inaugurated on June 16.

Meanwhile, NICE Managing Director Ashok Kheny, speaking to Deccan Herald, said the demands were mere “lame excuses”. Launching a veiled attack on his critics, Kheny said “Public can understand as to who is behind these activities.”

He clarified that the village road does not come under the BMIC project and it is the Government’s job to provide good roads for them.

“Their bad roads are not our problem,” he said.

He also said that security will be beefed up along the nine kilometre stretch that is set to be inaugurated.