Date:13/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/13/stories/2008081353470300.htm

Karnataka - Mysore

BMIC work to begin from Mysore-end on November 1, says Ashok Kheny

Staff Correspondent

MYSORE: The much-delayed work on the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) is scheduled to begin from Mysore-end on November 1.

Announcing this to presspersons in Mysore on Tuesday, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) Managing Director Ashok Kheny said his company proposes to complete the 110-km-long BMIC expressway between Bangalore and Mysore by December 2009.

In view of the delay, NICE has decided to execute the work at a fast pace by handing over 10 km of the expressway to each contractor. The work on all the stretches of the expressway handed over to different contractors will be carried out simultaneously, he said.

Mr. Kheny said the Government had decided to release land for the long-delayed project in three phases of 7,000 acres each.

Second phase

The construction of satellite towns along the expressway will begin in the second phase of the project. All the land losers will be given the price fixed by the Government, in addition to a site.

Mr. Kheny has also promised to provide employment in his company for one member of each land-losing family by providing them necessary training. Also, all the villages to be displaced for the project, will be constructed afresh.

Televisions

“We will not only construct houses for them, but also provide televisions to each family,” he said.

Disputing former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s charge that NICE was seeking excess land, Mr. Kheny said he did not want an inch of land more than the agreement between NICE and the Government made during 1997-98.

Proposal

Mr. Kheny reiterated his desire to convert Karnataka into a State of expressways and said he had submitted a proposal to the State Government to construct nine state-of-the-art expressways criss-crossing the State.

Later, Mr. Kheny held a meeting with industry representatives including Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Builders’ Association of India (BAI) Mysore chapter and Hotel Owners’ Association.