Work on Bangalore Metro Rail project to start soon

Work on Bangalore Metro Rail project to start soon

The Hindu

Road digging for shifting BESCOM lines to start in three weeks

# Work will commence from Chinnaswamy cricket stadium
# The work, being taken up in two packages, will be executed by BMRCL
# Plan is to shift all utilities by November

BANGALORE: Road digging for shifting BESCOM power lines to facilitate the Bangalore Metro Rail project will start in three weeks.

Work will commence from Chinnaswamy cricket stadium and digging will be taken up on small stretches of the road from the stadium up to Byappanahalli to shift BESCOM's underground 11 kV and overhead lines, according to BMRCL managing director V. Madhu.

Speaking on the sidelines of a talk on `Bangalore Metro Rail Project' organised by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) here on Friday, Mr. Madhu said that the entire seven-km stretch (from the stadium up to Byappanahalli) would not be dug up.

"Only such stretches where the lines come in the metro alignment will be shifted to the other end. Work, being taken up in two packages at a cost of Rs. 2 crore, will be executed by BMRCL by utilising the services of BESCOM contractors. This is likely to be completed in two months," Mr Madhu said.

He pointed out that after that digging would be taken up on a larger scale to shift water supply and sewerage lines on this same stretch.

"This work will also cost over Rs. 2 crore and we have already paid the amount to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). We want to shift all utilities before November so that we can start civil work for the project after that," he explained.

Integrated transport hubs

To ensure that citizens were not put to any hardship, BMRCL would set up integrated transport hubs at Byappanahalli, Mysore Road, near Subashnagar bus station in Majestic, near Swastik in Seshadripuram, Peenya (for road) and Yeshwanthpur (for rail).

These hubs were aimed at integrating Railways, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses and other modes of transport with Metro Rail to facilitate hassle-free travel for citizens, he said.

Mr. Madhu pointed out that the available government land on some of these locations would be used for the transport hubs.

"We will have to acquire private land in some places because we need at least 25 acres at every location to set up the hubs," he said.

Earlier, addressing members of IIPA, Mr. Madhu made a detailed presentation on the project. He said the project was likely to affect over 1,500 families.

"But we are working out a good compensation for them. A committee of experts in land valuation has been set up to study the current market value of the 26.13 acres of private land notified for acquisition," he said.

Apart from the current market value, the affected persons would also be granted `Transferable Development Rights' (TDR) and preference in allotment of Bangalore Development Authority sites. TDR envisaged permitting an additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR) to owners whose lands would be acquired for the project, Mr. Madhu explained.

Chairman of IIPA S. Ramanathan and secretary R.G. Nadadur were present.