The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to re-look implementation of Bangalore Mysore Expressway and Infrastructure Corridor project and consider discarding it as it has remained only
on paper over the past 30 years.
A division bench of Justice D K Singh and Justice Venkatesh Naik T said that no purpose would be served by keeping the project alive in its present form, as only one kilometre of the proposed expressway has been constructed in over 25 years. The court suggested that it would be in the interest of the city, its citizens, the environment and future development to consider a fresh project while discarding the old framework.
“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,” the bench observed as quoted by LiveLaw.
The court further noted that while the project proponent, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), has constructed about 47 km of peripheral roads and is collecting tolls, the core objective of building a 110-km expressway and developing five satellite townships has not been achieved. It also pointed out that the project has generated extensive litigation, with over 2,000 cases linked to it.
“The expressway has not yet been constructed and there is no sign of it being constructed in future. Therefore, we direct the State Government to re-look the project and take appropriate steps in this regard,” it added.
The bench referred to a 2021 Supreme Court judgment which had upheld the planning and construction of the project, but noted that despite judicial approval, implementation had failed. It observed that Bengaluru’s population has grown to over 1.4 crore, traffic congestion has worsened and infrastructure facilities are under severe strain.
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.
The directions were issued while dismissing a petition filed by a landowner seeking additional compensation for land acquired for the project. The court held that the petitioner had already accepted compensation and suppressed relevant facts.
Urging the State government to take an informed decision at the earliest, the bench said fresh planning was necessary to improve the living conditions in Bengaluru and address the city’s worsening mobility and environmental challenges.
