Medha Patkar terms DMIC project 'unconstitutional'

New Delhi, Mar 17 (ANI): Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee might have informed the Lok Sabha on Friday that the 90 billion dollar Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is making significant progress, but veteran social activist Medha Patkar termed the project as 'unconstitutional', as she felt it would affect the future of inhabitants of areas in six states through which the project will pass.

Speaking to Asian News International on phone, Patkar said that objections have already been made in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

"It is perverted. You can't affect their living conditions and create a huge structure there. This is unacceptable," Patkar said.

Insisting that the full impact of the project has not been assessed by the DMIC authorities, Patkar said that the project will have to pass legal scrutiny or else it would be entangled in unlawful activities.

"In Madhya Pradesh, for example, the so called leaders are buying land and will make huge profit out of it. This is unnecessary. This is absolutely unconstitutional," Patkar added.

While presenting the union budget 2012-13, Mukharjee had said: "The DMIC is being developed on either side along the alignment of the western dedicated rail freight corridor. The project has made significant progress."

In September 2011, the government had approved a central assistance of 18,500 crore rupees spread over a period of five years to DMIC.

According to Mukherjee, the Japanese Prime Minister had announced a loan of 4.5 billion dollars as its participation share in the DMIC project.

The DMIC is a mega infra-structure project worth 90 billion dollars with the financial and technical aid from Japan, covering an overall length of 1,483 kilometres between Delhi and Mumbai. It incorporates nine mega industrial zones, high speed freight line, three ports, and six airports, a six-lane intersection-free expressway connecting the country's political and financial capitals. By-Mahaswetha Dass.(ANI)