Date:08/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/08/stories/2008100858820300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Some niceties left unexplained

Krishnaprasad

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

FULL OF HURDLES: An aerial view of the starting point of the BMIC project near Hosakerehalli (behind PESIT).

Bangalore: It is nearly five years since the civil work on the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project commenced and 11 since the project was approved but the benefit is yet to reach the people.

Interestingly, government officials were “not sure” about the length of completed stretch of expressway, link road and peripheral road around Bangalore, which are part of the project.

However, referring to the documents submitted by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE), which is executing the project, some officials point out that the link road and peripheral roads have not been completed at four locations each for want of land.

The link is not completed at km 0.0 near Byatarayanapura, at km 1.4, between km 2.6 and 2.9 and between km 7.8 and 8.3. Similarly, peripheral road is not complete between km 8 and 9, between km 15.4 and 16 near Kanakapura junction, between km 23.4 and 24.2 near Mysore Road junction and between km 33.6 and 33.8, say officials quoting the documents given by the NICE. Also, about 5 km of expressway has been constructed, they say, quoting NICE documents.

When this reporter contacted NICE for details like the length of completed link road, peripheral road, expressway, when permission was taken from the PWD to allow vehicles on some stretches of these roads, expenditure incurred so far, and so on, the company spokesperson refused to comment.

“We are not aware of the expenditure as it is a project being implemented under the build, own, operate and transfer scheme,” the government officials told The Hindu.