BMRCL to set up panel to decide the price of land to be acquired

BMRCL to set up panel to decide the price of land to be acquired

The Hindu

Corporation has to acquire up to 27 acres of private land for project

# Search is on for a person to head the committee
# BMRCL to follow Delhi Metro plan for land acquisition
# Corporation wants to give a `fair price' to owners while acquiring the properties

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) will appoint a committee to decide the price of private land to be acquired for the Rs. 6,300-crore mass transport system.

The BMRCL has to acquire 621 properties adding up to 27 acres of private land for the project. It plans to follow the Delhi Metro in land acquisition.

"If we decide the price ourselves, people may not trust us," said V. Madhu, managing director, BMRCL, which is implementing metro rail project in the city. Hence, an independent person would be assigned the task. Though the BMRCL attempted to get the service of an expert, it was not successful as he was busy. It is now looking for another person to head the committee.

The need to have an independent committee arose because of the wide gap between the actual prices of the land and the guideline value fixed by the State Government for these properties.

For example, the guideline value of properties on M.G. Road is Rs. 8,000 per sq ft. But there have been instances of properties being registered at double the rate.

The committee would decide the value of only the land not the buildings. In a typical case, the committee would decide the value of the land and the BMRCL the value of the building on the land.

The value of such buildings would be based on the guidelines evolved by the Public Works Department.

There was not much scope for fluctuation of values in the case of buildings, Mr. Madhu pointed out. "The BMRCL will give the price fixed by the committee," Mr. Madhu assured the people.

The BMRCL is giving a final shape to the rehabilitation package.

The package is being evolved based on three models followed by organisations such as Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the National Highways Authority of India. In addition to compensation for land and buildings, the package would fix the quantum of compensation for the inconvenience caused and include a provision for reimbursing the cost of replacement (shifting).

Mr. Madhu said that the BMRCL did have the right to acquire properties and pay compensation later, but it did not favour a confrontationist attitude.

Instead, BMRCL would give "a fair price" to the owners while acquiring the properties.

The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board has been entrusted with the responsibility of property acquisition.

As of now, the BMRCL has appointed interim consultants for the seven km stretch from M.G. Road to Byappanahalli — which is to be made operative in three years. It has issued tenders for the shifting of utility lines on this stretch. It is yet to appoint consultants to make detailed designs for stations and depots of the Metro and appoint general consultants for the entire project.

Meanwhile, the Rail India Technical and Economic Services has taken up the final location survey for the remaining 26 km of the 33-km network.