Not NICE! Mysuru highway paved with gross violations

Belagavi: The House Committee of the Legislative Assembly looking into the affairs of the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE)  has reportedly recommended a CBI inquiry into the company’s  execution of the BMIC project, claiming that it has violated at least 24 of the 30 guidelines laid down in  the original Framework of Agreement entered into.

Going by sources, the committee, which filed an application under the  Right to Information Act with KIADB to get information on the implementation of the BMIC project, has  found  that  although the government had agreed to lease 6000 acres at the rate of Rs 10 per acre per year to  the company, it demanded an outright sale deed in its favour and the land was transferred to it without even the charging of a stamp duty.

It said NICE later mortgaged the land with a private bank and raised Rs 150 crore. Sources say the committee has also found that NICE began stone quarrying without seeking permission from the government and  pointed out that even if a normal royalty of Rs 30 per tonne was received from it for the quarrying, the state would have earned Rs 270 crore.

Even worse, NICE is said to have sold large tracts of land allotted to it  and begun construction of apartments and townships  without government permission. When questioned, NICE promoter, Ashok Kheny  reportedly contended he did not need any one's permission to carry out activity in the notified area.

Meanwhile, the  Opposition protested Speaker K B Koliwad 's decision to defer tabling of the House Committee report on  NICE and got the government to agree to table it  in the Assembly by Thursday.