Karnataka Government announces release of land for BMIC road

Even as senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu arrived in Bangalore in a bid to sort out the differences with its ally JD (S), the Karnataka Government announced its readiness to release the land required for the construction of a road under the controversial Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project.

However, the Karnataka Government made it clear that it would release only the land required for construction of 162 kms of road, including the 111-km-long expressway between Bangalore and Mysore. A decision on release of land for construction of five townships under the project has been withheld for the time being.

Out of the 20,193 acres of land required for the BMIC project, construction of road requires about 7,000 acres. The remaining land is meant for construction of five townships along the BMIC expressway, each with a capacity to accommodate a population of 100,000.

The Government’s decision on release of land for construction of the road comes not only close on the heels of the soft opening of a 9 km stretch of peripheral ring road by the private consortium Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), which is implementing the BMIC project, but also amid heightening differences between coalition partners JD (S) and BJP over a Government take-over of the Rs 23 billion project.

In a letter addressed to NICE Managing Director Ashok Kheny, Karnataka Government’s Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary to the Public Works Department (PWD) P B Mahishi said “Under the project, NICE has to construct 162 kms of road requiring 6,999 acres of land and the State is ready and willing to forthwith fulfill its obligations in view of the Supreme Court order”.

However, the 5-page letter asked NICE not to take up construction of the five townships until the 162-km road project was completed. The Government was taking emergent steps to make available the land required for the road component of the project, the letter added.

Confirming the receipt of the letter, Kheny told reporters that NICE had never intended to go for the townships before the completion of the road project. “If the Government releases the necessary land, the 111-km-long BMIC expressway will reach Mysore by December 2007”, he said.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu held several rounds of talks with senior BJP leaders in Bangalore on Sunday in an effort to prevent the collapse of the JD (S)-BJP coalition over the BMIC project.

He remained closetted with senior BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, party’s state unit President D V Sadananda Gowda and former Federal Minister Ananthakumar.

Naidu is expected to provide suggestions to partymen at the BJP Legislature Party meeting scheduled for Monday. The senior BJP leader is also expected to call on former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who had lashed out at the BJP Ministers in the coalition for blocking the Government take-over of the BMIC project.

Amid the hectic efforts to save the JD (S)-BJP coalition in Karnataka, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Karnataka affairs A K Antony too arrived in Bangalore on Saturday to take stock of the situation.

Antony met senior party leaders in Bangalore including Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President M Mallikarjun Kharge. Speaking to reporters, Kharge said the “unholy” alliance between JD (S) and BJP was poised to split and pave the way for fresh elections shortly.