Bengaluru-Mysore six lane National Highway: ‘Vested interests behind hurried project’

Bengaluru: With the state government going all out to six lane the Bengaluru-Mysore highway, upgraded recently to a national highway, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) is contemplating contempt proceedings against the state government for “deliberately delaying” the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP).

Sources close to the development said that the state government had been delaying the project though it filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in 2009 that it will release land for the project in three to four phases in 18 months.

“The Interlocutory Affidavit will be filed in the contempt case as the government is fast-tracking a project conceived a few months ago, while it has blatantly deviated from the affidavit filed in 2009 to allot the land at the Supreme Court’s behest. The state is talking about completing the project by 2018 whereas it is yet to survey and issue notification to acquire land.

In BMICP case, final notification has been issued but land has not been awarded,” sources said. While refuting charges, NICE's contempt case stemmed from competition, the source alleged: “moving so fast to expand the highway at cost of Rs 3,000 crore of public money and delaying our project gives raise to suspicion about the motive.”

Deccan Chronicle had previously reported on May 23rd 2014 that the highway was upgraded post haste during the last few days of UPA 2, and the project, announced, without a detailed project report (DPR). “This gives credence to the fact there are vested interests behind the project. “Private companies will queue up to do the project on PPP model and will do a better job, but the state wants to take it up at the cost of the public exchequer,” sources said.

FACTS ON BMIC

>> BENGALURU MYSORE CORRIDOR: 140 KMS
>> CURRENT TRAVEL TIME: 4 HOURS
>> NEW HIGHWAY WILL SAVE: 1 HOUR
>> ILLEGAL SPEEDBREAKERS: 50