PIB: Take fresh look at Metro route

PIB: Take fresh look at Metro route
Karnataka Govt Advised To Avoid Demolition Of Structures
The Times of India

Bangalore: Hope lives again for citizens who fear that the Metro Rail project could upset their lives and livelihood. The Public Investment Board (PIB) has advised the Karnataka government to re-examine the route of the Metro Rail covering sections of MG Road, Cubbon Park and CMH Road.

While recommending a fresh and objective view at the route, the PIB has also advised the government to avoid demolition of existing structures, both commercial and residential, as far as possible.

This should come as a reprieve for residents and traders of CMH Road, the Brigade Road Traders and Establishments’ Association and others who have been raising their voice against the proposed route. They have been urging the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) to shift the route to Old Madras Road instead of CMH Road.

The PIB is in the process of sending the Metro Rail proposal to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

The meeting of the PIB, held on August 5, said that citizens should be consulted before the project is finalised, as they have voiced some reservations.

It also noted the state government’s assurance that the people would be consulted. As public investment is involved, this is a prerequisite, and unless the public good is not made clear, smooth execution of the project may be under jeopardy, it warned. The PIB has said that citizens should be spared any loss and “social trauma”, and the government should try to avoid massive resettlement and rehabilitation. Neither should the beauty and ecology of Bangalore city be compromised, it added.

The meeting has also warned that there was a need for appropriate soil treatment in certain parts of the city to avoid operation hazards later.

Besides this, the PIB has also asked the Karnataka government and Urban Development Ministry to indicate various technology options — their merits and demerits, and reasons for preferring a railbased Metro for Bangalore.