Farmers to get back 13k acres notified for Karnataka's NICE Road?

The proposal to denotify land meant for the NICE road to Mysuru is likely to be tabled in the state Cabinet meeting for a final decision. The development comes at a time when Deputy CM D K Shivakumar has been lobbying for the revival of 110-km alternative expressway to Bengaluru’s sister city.

Bengaluru: In a significant move, the government has drafted a proposal to release 13,418 acres of land back to farmers by dropping the 25-year-old plan for the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project and four townships, which were mooted by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE).

The development comes at a time when Deputy CM D K Shivakumar has been lobbying for the revival of 110-km alternative expressway to Bengaluru’s sister city.

According to well-placed sources, the proposal to denotify land meant for the NICE road to Mysuru is likely to be tabled in the state Cabinet meeting for a final decision.

The controversies surrounding the NICE project is more than two decades old. So far, Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has handed over 7,191 acres to NICE, which is in excess of that promised for the peripheral ring road around Bengaluru and a link road.

Besides this, KIADB had issued the preliminary notification for 13,418 acres of land to build the Bangalore-Mysore corridor. While the project did not take off, there was no movement on land acquisition. It is learnt that the law and finance departments have favoured the proposal to denotify the entire 13,418 acres. This was suggested considering the cost of acquiring the land which would come to Rs 32,219 crore according to the latest land acquisition rules.

In its internal note, the finance department has also opined that preliminary notification issued for the 13,418 acres should be withdrawn as there is no plan to build another expressway to Mysuru.

The state cabinet may also discuss the fate of 2,531 acres of land which was notified for the NICE project but the acquisition is not fully complete yet.

About two decades ago, the KIADB had issued final notification for the 2,531 acres, situated just outside Bengaluru, where one more township and road interchanges were proposed.

While NICE and KIADB are in possession of the land, farmers are yet to be compensated.

Interestingly, the 25 acres in Sompura, where DyCM D K Shivakumar is planning a 250-metre tall Sky Deck, is a part of this notification.

Decision on 2,531 acres

Of the 2,531 acres for which a final notification was issued, the law and finance departments have recommended to the government to take back land not part of the original framework agreement.

“The matter pertaining to 2,531 acres involves the concessionaire’s rights. However, it is not realistic to assume that farmers will accept old rates as the notification was issued in 1999. To acquire this land, compensation needs to be provided as per 2013 Act. If old rates are considered, interest needs to be paid and the responsibility to pay compensation lies with the concessionaire (NICE),” the note prepared by the finance department states.

Referring to the framework agreement signed between the government and NICE in 1997, the department said the agreement “clearly states that market rate should be paid as compensation and the land acquisition rules of the time are applicable”.

Not fully convinced withe acquisition plan, the finance department has instructed the Public Works Department, parent organisation of KIADB, to study the necessity of acquiring 2,531 acres.