The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Denotify excess land acquired for BMIC project: Deshpande

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Denotify excess land acquired for BMIC project: Deshpande

Special Correspondent

`Order inquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation or judicial probe'

R.V. Deshpande

BANGALORE: R.V. Deshpande of the Congress on Monday urged the Government to denotify 3,600 acres of "excess land" acquired for the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, being executed by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Ltd. (NICE).

Raising the issue in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Deshpande said that during his term as Minister for Industries, it had been found that 3,600 acres of land had been acquired in excess for the project. "Who has now stopped the Government from denotifying excess land," he asked.

He said the Government should clarify its stand on the issue and "reveal the truth". He asked what prevented the Government from ordering an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation or a judicial probe into alleged irregularities committed in the sanctioning of the project. Mr. Deshpande said Mr. Deve Gowda sanctioned the project to decongest roads. The Cabinet decided to amend the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, and permitted NICE to set up five townships and peripheral roads. No fraud had been committed in granting approval for the project, he said and added that the Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court had cleared it.

Mr. Deshpande said tax and stamp duty concessions had been given to NICE as per an agreement signed in 1997.

A provision was made to provide employment to one person from each family displaced by the project, besides a house, he said.

The Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party had adopted different stands on the project, Mr. Deshpande said.

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