'Remains Only On Paper': Karnataka High Court Directs State To Relook Implementation Of Bangalore Mysore Expressway Project

The Karnataka High Court has directed the State government to re-look implementation of Bangalore Mysore Expressway and Infrastructure Corridor project and directed it to take appropriate steps in this regard observing that the project aimed at decongesting the city has remained only on papers.A division bench of Justice D K Singh and Justice Venkatesh Naik T referred to a Supreme Court's decision in Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Area Planning Authority & Anr. Vs. Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Limited & Ors. (2021) wherein the apex court had upheld the planning and construction of the project.The bench said:"As of today the population of Bengaluru would be around 1.4 crores. This ambitious project and planning as delineated in the PTR has remained only on paper, even after 30 years for various reasons including the large scale corruption, the political and bureaucratic interferences, alleged violations of commitments by both sides and it is informed that out of 111 kilometres Bangalore Mysore infrastructure road, only 1 kilometre has been constructed by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise. It has constructed 47 kilometres peripheral roads from which it collects toll tax to its profit. But the ambitious and the project of such a public interest to decongest the city and to develop new satellite township has remained only on papers. Not even a single township has been developed in last 35 years".Notably the Infrastructure Corridor Project Technical Report (PTR) was prepared in August 1995 for construction of Integrated Infrastructure Corridor and Finance Project (IICFP or the Project) situated between Bangalore and Mysore consisting of residential, industrial and commercial facilities such as, among other things, self-sustaining townships, expressways, utilities and amenities including power-plants, industrial plants, water treatment plants and other infrastructural developments specifically described in the PTR. For implementing the said project, the authority–Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Area Planning Authority (BMICAP) was constituted under the provisions of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961. Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project was conceived for construction of Bangalore to Mysore 110 km Expressway, Peripheral Road connecting Bangalore-Hosur National Highway (NH.7), Bangalore-Pune National Highway (NH.4) and Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway (NH.48) and link roads. Apart from construction of expressway and the link roads, the project proponent was supposed to 51 WP No. 17839 OF 2010 construct 5 townships as approved by the State Government in terms of the FWAOn going through records and the SC judgment, it said, “Unfortunately, the very purpose and object of the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor to decongest the city with better civic amenities and better opportunities for business and professionals have remained a distant dream.” It added “In fact, except for the peripheral roads where the toll plazas have been constructed, only one km expressway has been constructed in almost 25 years.”The bench observed that the "beautiful and futuristic" concept of decongesting the city as conceived under the PTR has been "killed by the project opponents and the authorities at the cost of the citizens and the environment". It added:"In fact, the concept and the contract have got frustrated. No purpose would be served for keeping the project alive when, in more than 25 years, only one kilometer has been constructed...The population of the city is more than 140 crores. The snarling traffic and traffic jams are the orders of the day. It takes hours to travel a small distance in the city. The infrastructure facilities are crumbling down. The environment is badly affected.”The court said that it would be in the interest of the city, citizens, environment and the future, to re-look at the project and take appropriate action for fresh and new project discarding the old one."The State Government, therefore, must take necessary decisions for fresh planning by discarding the FWA at the earliest to ameliorate the living conditions of the city. We hope that an informed decision would be taken in this regard at the earliest," it said.The court issued the direction while dismissing a petition filed by one Chandrika, a land owner whose land was acquired for the purpose of Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project who had approached the court seeking additional compensation. Appearance: Advocate K. KIRAN KUMAR for Petitioner. Advocate P.V.CHANDRASHEKAR, FOR R-1. Senior Advocate R.V.S.NAIK, FOR Advocates NITIN PRASAD, VIDUR NAIR, ADVOCATE FOR R-2. Senior Advocate PROF. RAVI VERMA KUMAR, a/w Advocate SIDHARTH BABU RAO, SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR R-3. Advocate S.B.MATHAPATHI, FOR R-4.Advocate YOGESH D. NAIK, ADVOCATE FOR R-5. Citation No: 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 11Case Title: CHANDRIKA AND THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER-I & Others Case No: WRIT...

'Remains Only On Paper': Karnataka High Court Directs State To Relook Implementation Of Bangalore Mysore Expressway Project

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