It probably started in late March (28/3/08), when Supreme Court issued notices asking Karnataka government to respond as to why the SC order on BMIC is not implemented. The notice was returnable in six weeks. Fast forward that much time, and on May 7, we were told (TOI - typically pro NICE) that government has issued a go ahead on BMIC:
"... the government has paved the way for completion of the peripheral and link roads, which were stalled by the H D Kumaraswamy government. Besides, an empowered committee headed by chief secretary Sudhakar Rao has been asked to take all necessary steps for early completion of NICE's projects ..."
As per Hindu (typically anti NICE), a clearance like this would mean handing over 2200 acres of land to NICE, some or all of which was earlier claimed by the state to be in 'excess' of requirements:
"The State Executive Committee, headed by Governor Rameshwar Thakur, appears to have overlooked the issue of excess land acquired for the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project, thus paving the way for handing over 2,200 acres of land ..."
However, then came Election Commission with its code of conduct, and said the clearance to NICE on BMIC violates it. The clearance was apparently withdrawn. Well, thats fair enough. Things would anyway change once the elected government takes charge, how much would have NICE managed in a few weeks anyway.
They have been working on the Link Road though (the one that connects NICE peripheral road to center of the city), we hear that about 7.1 kms out of 9.1 are done. Usage of NICE peripheral road has been picking up, good gains have been seen on Mysore Road - Tumkur Road stretch.
Next hearing on the contempt petition is scheduled to come up for hearing in SC only in the second week of August. Either that, or the next elected government should set the course for further action. We will keep watching, because apparently that is all we can do right now :)
[Note: Photo credit ArunnurA @ flickr]
ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಗಳು
EC decission fair?
Allowing NICE to complete the peripheral road was in no way related to 'claim credit' scenario for any party..technically speaking, since the guvs' office is supposed to be apolitical. Though we all know what it actually is.
Though the govt. decission on NICE itself was hurried..it was atleast in the interest of the general public..imagine the relief the peripheral road would have brought to bangaloreans as well as the trucks which need to now pass thru ORR to reach Hosur road from Tumkur road!
Probably Gopalaswamy reads Hindu line by line!
Unfair
totally agree with you; BMIC
totally agree with you;
BMIC has nothing to do with the elections; in fact ashok kheny can do better in the absence of these elected politicians
Srinath Heragu
BMIC
heragu sir
BMIC expressway gets clearance
Saw this in the TOI as well. BMIC expressway was cleared. I think I like the Peripheral Road idea. But the whole expressway - I tend to agree with TS. I don't know if this is an unqualified blessing. The land dealings sound murky and I don't know whether wetlands have been taken for this, etc.
Srivathsa
Drive safe. It is not just the car maker which can recall its product.
All hurdles cleared for NICE projects
Apparently there are no more legal (read political) bottlenecks for NICE to go ahead with BMIC. Read more here.
-Shastri
-Shastri
BMIC Work to start from Mysore side
-Shastri
NICE wins court case (Gottigere)
Drive safe. It is not just the car maker which can recall its product.