Mayor orders start of work on Malleswaram grade separator

Mayor orders start of work on Malleswaram grade separator

The Hindu

Minister Ashok had ordered stoppage of work following protests from residents

# The problems raised No space made for relocation of 5th cross bus stand
# Road not wide enough for a grade separator
# No entrance to K.C General Hospital

BANGALORE: Mayor Mumtaz Begum on Friday directed the BMP officials to resume work on the Malleswaram grade separator from August 16.

With this, the Mayor has over-ruled the Bangalore district in-charge Minister R. Ashok, who had ordered the BMP to stop work on the separator following protests from residents.

The Minister on August 3 had a meeting with BMP Commissioner K. Jairaj on the objections raised and directed the latter to conduct a reassessment of the grade separator plan.

Mr. Jairaj had said that the report would be given to the Minister by August 14.

Addressing presspersons, Ms. Begum said that a modified plan had already been drawn up and submitted to the Minister, which would address the objections raised by the citizens' groups.

But, when contacted, officials at the BMP said that the commissioner himself had not yet been apprised of the changes.

Ms. Begum said, "The plan was approved in stages and it was passed in the BMP Council and then approved by the Government. Only after that the work order was issued." When asked how she could over rule the Minister's decision, Ms. Begum said that the Minister had only given oral instructions to the officials and the work order was in writing.

`Scientific plan'

Stating that the grade separator plan was scientific, she said that the BMP had drawn up the plan after consulting three agencies, including Nagesh and Manasa Consultants.

A political issue was being made of the grade separator, said H. Ravindra, Congress leader at the BMP Council.

"They do not want the work to start in the next three months," said Deputy Mayor Lakshminarayan, referring to the BMP elections due in November.