Karnataka Government orders judicial probe into BMIC

The Karnataka Government has decided to order a judicial probe into the controversial Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) and prosecute the Government officials found guilty of colluding with the project promoter Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE).

During the course of his marathon reply to a week-long debate in the Legislative Assembly on BMIC, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy described the controversial project as “a land scam unheard of in the history of the State” and set a two-month deadline for the judicial probe to complete.

The Government will file criminal cases against the officials, who had colluded with NICE, he said. Apart from a judicial probe and registration of criminal case against officials colluding with NICE, Kumaraswamy said the Government would reclaim the excess land allotted to the project promoter and return the same to the farmers.

But, the Opposition Congress demanded a CBI probe into the BMIC. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Dharam Singh expressed skepticism over the outcome of the judicial probe and insisted on a CBI probe. “Nothing will come out of the judicial inquiry. We want the CBI to probe the matter”, Dharam Singh said.

When the Chief Minister turned down the Opposition demand for a CBI probe, the entire Opposition trooped out of the House, leading to an adjournment.

Managing Director of NICE Ashok K Kheny, who has already won several court battles against the Karnataka Government, has welcomed the Government decision to hold a judicial probe into the BMIC. “The judicial probe should bring into its ambit the role and conduct of present officials, who are blocking the project”, Kheny said.

Refuting allegations of excess land, Kheny, who is armed with a Supreme Court order for expeditious completion of the BMIC project, said the Government has not even allotted the land cleared in the framework agreement. “The question of allotting excess land does not arise”, he said.

Meanwhile, the progress of work on the BMIC hit a snag on Friday when the Mysore district administration refused permission for NICE to hold a ceremonial bhumi puja on 15 acres of land on the outskirts of the City to mark the start of Mysore leg of BMIC project.

Claiming ownership of the land identified by NICE to start work on the Mysore leg of BMIC project, Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) refused to hand over possession of the land to the promoters till the acquisition dues amounting to Rs 8.5 million is cleared.

But, Kheny, who had himself arrived to launch works on the Mysore leg of BMIC project, claimed that NICE had already deposited the required money with Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). “It is their duty to make the payment and facilitate the start of work”, Kheny said.

In view of the demonstrations staged at the project site by pro-BMIC and anti-BMIC groups, the Mysore City police barricaded the area and imposed prohibitory orders on the 15 acres of land to prevent “trespassing” on MUDA land.