Halt work on Malleswaram underpass: Minister to BMP

Halt work on Malleswaram underpass: Minister to BMP
Vijay Times

Bangalore: Health and Family Welfare Minister R Ashok on Tuesday directed the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) to halt work on Malleswaram underpass until further directions on grounds that it has been planned unscientifically.

He said he and the chief minister were “not informed when work on the project was taken up”.

He said after reviewing the technical feasibility, a decision will be taken whether or not to continue work on the project.

The minister said he has convened a meeting with BMP officials and commissioner K Jairaj at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday evening on this matter.

The traffic gets choked on Link Road, blocking free access to those coming from Geetanjali Pipeline Road, he said.

“Based on the preliminary data obtained from the public, I have suspended work on the underpass. A decision will be taken after a meeting,” Ashok said.

Venkatesh, a consultant for the Swabhimana Initiative, a resident association, said the underpass is unscientific and causes a lot of problems. It denies free access to KC General Hospital and the traffic gets choked on Link Road.

Instead, the BMP can divert the moffusil transport directly to Malleswaram by improving the Railway Parallel Road and by widening the railway under bridge at Srirampuram, he suggested. The BMP must construct a bus bay opposite Malleswaram police station, he said.

Ranganath, BMP engineer (projects), said the BMP has conducted a survey on the construction of Malleswaram underpass and all concerns have been addressed. There was a traffic density of 11,500 passenger cars per hour. With the construction of underpass, the movement of vehicles on both Sampige Road and MKK Road will be made signal-free, he said.

The underpass will reduce traffic congestion by at least 50 per cent, he added.

‘Take over mall’: The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) should take over the controversial Garuda Mall, which has violated building by-laws, said A H Basavaraj, BJP leader in the BMP Council.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, he said the government lodge criminal cases against Garuda Mall promoters, Maverick Holdings Pvt Ltd.

The Maverick Holdings had allegedly created Oxford Holdings,a fictitious company, to participate in the bidding, he said.

A BMP name-board should be displayed at all properties given for a joint venture, he demanded.