PRR project faces roadblocks

PRR project faces roadblocks
The Times of India


Bangalore: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which is finalising the last notification for the Peripheral Ring Road project (PRR), is in a fix.

Landowners have objected to its preliminary notification for land acquisition. They and have also expressed resentment over their properties being set aside for BMTC bus depots and truck terminals that are envisaged on the PRR.

Of the 1,900-odd acres of land that has been set aside for the PRR, nearly 240 acres each have been earmarked for the BMTC to construct 12 bus depots and 12 truck terminals. After going through the objections, BDA officials observed, “They (land owners) are ready to give up properties for constructing the road but somehow do not want to give it for other activities. We have to convince them during the hearings.’’

The project, to be undertaken in two phases, will require 3,700 acres of land. The final notification for phase I, passing through 104 villages, will be approved by the BDA board shortly.

Some sites have already been developed and sold in a few layouts in notified areas. The layouts are illegal and are in revenue areas and these owners are seeking alternative sites, the officials informed.

Taking a cue from its earlier land acquisition exercises which had run into trouble, this time, the BDA has not notified built-up structures with clear titles unless the buildings are situated on the proposed roads, drains or other civic amenities. BDA officials have also resurveyed all villages falling under the PRR stretch to find out the number of buildings with clear titles.

The PRR had earmarked 80 km of alignment in Bangalore’s comprehensive development plan of 1995. Today’s ground realities are different. Due to urbanisation, nearly 45 per cent of the old alignment has been built up. At some places, the alignment was less than a km from the existing ring road. The CDP’s alignment was, therefore, found outdated.

The modified alignment encountered another hitch. It clashed with the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project. Of the 115 km of PRR, the 41 km stretch between Tumkur road and Hosur road was found to run into the BMIC project. Again, the alignment was refixed.