Minister tells BMRCL not to delay Metro Phase II work

Namma Metro’s Phase-1 might have seen several delays in its implementation, but the State government is keen that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) take precautions to avoid any delays while implementing its Phase-2, an official clearance for which is still awaited.

Transport and Bangalore City in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy communicated the same to the BMRCL officials in a review meeting on Saturday.

After taking stock of the progress of the project and an update on the various proposals under the Phase II, ahead of the crucial Public Investment Board (PIB) meeting on June 25, Reddy said that he would review the project once every three months.

The BMRCL officials said the Phase-1 was delayed mainly due to late awarding of contracts for the underground section. “This almost extended the project by 24 months,” a source said.

The government is likely to stick to the decision of the high- powered committee to realign the RV Road-Bommasandra line under Namma Metro Phase-2 near Jayadeva Hospital, said sources. While stating that the government is keen on not disturbing the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Reddy said that it is, at the same time, concerned about the individuals whose properties are to be razed for the changed alignment.

Over 94 properties, including apartments of more than 150 senior citizens, will be razed due to the change in alignment. They had urged the government to take the line underground. BMRCL Managing Director N Sivasailam made a presentation to the minister on Phase-2. While rumours were rife about the presentation being about the realignment issue, discussing various technicalities, Sivasailam has maintained that it was in connection with the PIB meeting.

Is Metro realignment the only alternative?

Even as the Metro Phase-II is hitting the headlines for the realignment issue raised by the Jayadeva Hospital, citizens have started questioning the process. Here’s Citizen Action Forum’s N Mukunda’s take on this.

Metro Phase-I has not completed, but the plans for Phase-II have already begun. File Pic.

The new alignment near Jayadeva Hospital has caused panic among residents that many residential properties and commercial buildings on Bannerghatta Road would be demolished.

Here are some thoughts on this.

> Why public consultation with residents, experts,users ,metro officials and elected representatives is not being held on pros and cons, alternative routes etc, like the public consultation held by Additional Chief Secretary regarding Signal-free corridor of Koramangala? The project was scrapped unanimously by all stakeholders on direction of the High Court, based on the PIL filed by Citizen Action Forum and other Resident’s Welfare Associations.

> While the Metro is passing via Vani Vilas hospital and Bangalore Hospital, R V Road where similar surgeries are conducted, how the vibration will affect the patients in only Jayadeva?

> Instead of demolishing many other buildings by realigning the path, why Jayadeva can’t be shifted to Jayanagar General Hospital premises by constructing additional floors or build it on Jayanagar 4th T block bus depot?

> Alternatively multilocational Jayadeva Hospitals can be constructed across Bangalore.

> It is more easy to demolish a residential or private building rather than a government-owned building

> When Phase-I Metro is not completed in R V Road, why should the government think of Phase-II?

> Why underground metro or monorail or running of more BMTC buses cannot be considered instead of demolishing properties?

A> committee of residents, Metro, Jayadeva, elected representatives and experts should be constituted to look for practical alternative.

Impasse over construction of metro station continues

BBMP yet to sanction plan for Sampige Road station-tower

The impasse over the construction of Sampige Road Metro Station and commercial tower under the first-ever pubic-private partnership of Namma Metro continues, with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) refusing to sanction the building plan for the station-tower.

The palike is sticking to its guns that the private partner, Mantri Developers, has encroached upon government land and handed it over for construction of a road by obtaining transferable development rights (TDR).

A high power committee of the government on March 7 directed the BBMP to give approval.

Also, the High Court of Karnataka passed a similar order on April 15.

However, the then BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah wrote to the government in May urging it to withdraw the direction since a joint committee of the palike had established the encroachment even as the BBMP filed an appeal against the single judge order.

The BBMP constituted the committee of Deputy Commissioners of health, estate and land acquisition to examine the allegations of people’s representatives that Hamara Shelters, a concern owned by Mantri, had encroached upon two acres, eleven-and-a-half guntas of government land.

On the other hand, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) and Mantri Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. are making efforts to get the plan sanctioned for the joint development of the property. While the Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department had directed BBMP to sanction the plan in eight days on November 27, 2012, a high power committee on March 7, 2013 issued similar directions after the BBMP failed to grant the approval.

Work suffers

BMRCL Managing Director N. Sivasailam replied to an email communiqué from The Hindu stating that the station buildings had been partially completed.

The other components such as parking space, station access, etc., remained incomplete as they are integrated with the facility of the joint development partner [commercial tower], which has to be approved by the BBMP.

He said, “The matter is sub-judice and there is an order of the High Court to grant approval to the plan subject to conditions which we have complied with. The BBMP has moved court (after taking one week time from court to grant approval) but there is no stay order. At this stage, we expect the BBMP to comply with the order of the court which is based on the decision of the State government directing the BBMP to accord approval to the plan.”

Mr. Sivasailam said, “We wait patiently. Of course, in this impasse, the work is suffering, as the joint development partner is unable to move ahead both in physical and financial terms as further release of funds for further development is conditional to formal plan approval by the regulator.”

Awaiting response

BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayana said that Mr. Siddaiah had written to the government to withdraw the directions (to grant approval for the joint development). “We are awaiting government response to that letter.”

Asked whether the palike would grant approval if the government directs so, Mr. Lakshminarayana said that the BBMP would have to examine such directions

BIAL Expansion Update

BBMP to acquire 485 properties for signal-free corridor project

Proposal submitted to Revenue Department four months ago

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will acquire as many as 485 private and government properties for its ambitious five signal-free corridors in this City.

The Palike had sent a proposal for the acquisition of land to the Revenue department four months ago. It is expecting the necessary clearances this week. In this regard, the BBMP Commissioner, M Lakshminarayana, had a meeting with the Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, on Tuesday where he briefed him about the BBMP budget, expected financial assistance from the State government and the status of infrastructure projects, including the five signal-free corridors.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Lakshminarayana said, “We have requested the chief minister to give clearance to start these projects, which are pending before the State government for several months.”

These projects would cost an estimated Rs 618 crores. Already the contractor firms have been selected to execute the project and a proposal has been sent to the government for clearance.

According to BBMP sources, the total extent of the properties to be acquired is about 17 acres and 20 guntas of which maximum 154 properties will be acquired for Vellara Junction to NH-4 Kundalahalli-Whitefield. 

Although the Palike’s financial health is bad, it will offer monetary compensation to the property losers instead of giving them Transferable Development Rights (TDR). A senior Palike officer said, “We tried the TDR route to acquire land but individual property holders do not seem to be quite impressed with it. So, we are left with only option of paying monetary compensation.”

At a recent meeting, Lakshminarayana told the BBMP engineers to gear up for these infrastructure projects, which were long pending and are much needed to ease traffic congestion. He also reviewed the status of projects relating to widening of roads.

Name of the Project l Properties l Extent required in Sqft

Hosur Road (from) Central Silk Board Junction to Vellara Junction l 81 l 99,973

Mysore Road to Central Silk Board Junction l 137 l 93,594

Dr Rajkumar Road (from) Yeshwantpur Circle to Okalipuram Rd l 19 l 29,048

Vellara Junction to NH-4 Kundalahalli Whitefield l 154 l 3,73,845

Mehkri Circle to Hope Farm l 94 l 1,65,084

Underpass at Kadirenahalli

The signal-free corridor project will also include another infrastructure surgery near Kadirenahalli junction on the cross road that leads to Dayananda Sagar group of institutions. The Palike has planned another underpass there with an expenditure of Rs 11 crore.

Both the junctions, Kadirenahalli and the cross road, are hardly 200 metres away. While planning to clear the traffic bottleneck at the junction, BBMP engineers did not take Sagar institutions junction into consideration. As a result, vehicles which come from Kittur Rani Chennamma junction near DG Petrol Pump and ply beneath the Kadirenahalli underpass have to abruptly stop at the Sagar institutions junction. This faulty planning has led to many accidents at the junction besides causing regular traffic jams.