NICE Road: Cabinet sub-committee to study if project should be continued

A Cabinet sub-committee has been announced to look into the future of the Bangalore-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project being executed by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE). The sub-committee, that is yet to be formed, will look into allegations of excess land being acquired, sale of land and other issues, and would explore whether the road project should be continued or not. The report is expected in two to three months.

A Cabinet sub-committee has been announced to look into the future of the Bangalore-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project being executed by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE). The sub-committee, that is yet to be formed, will look into allegations of excess land being acquired, sale of land and other issues, and would explore whether the road project should be continued. The report is expected in two to three months.

The decision to form the sub-committee was made during the Cabinet meeting here on Friday. “A comprehensive discussion is not possible in one meeting. Technical and legal issues are to be considered. Terms of reference will spell out the reason for the sub-committee and its scope,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told presspersons in his post-Cabinet briefing.

When asked about the T.B. Jayachandra Committee report on the NICE issue, the Minister said that the sub-committee will take up the Jayachandra committee report for consideration. “The sub-committee can consider Public Accounts Committee reports, legislature committee reports, legislature proceedings, more than 100 affidavits that we have filed in courts, and orders of High Court and Supreme Court in the matter.”

He also pointed out that the discussion on the BMIC project began as early as 1998 when the Legislative Council witnessed about 30 hours of discussion.

The Cabinet has also approved issuance of separate TDR for land utilised for road widening and land that has not been used for road-widening. A told of 1,017 sq.m of land utilised for road widening will be issued TDR certificate separately.