Railways throw spokes into BDA project

Railways throw spokes into BDA project
New Indian express

BANGALORE: The South Western Railway has thrown spanners into an underpass project the BDA has taken up at the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and Banaswadi-Ramamurthynagar Road junction.

The BDA has taken up the project at a cost of Rs 17 crore to facilitate smooth flow of the traffic through a two-way, three-lane underpass.

Senior government officials including the Chief Secretary have taken up the subject with the Railway authorities, but the latter seem to be unrelenting. They have even put up iron blockades on their land to prevent the underpass from coming up.

While the Railways has not furnished any official reason as to why it was scuttling the project, it is said to be unhappy about the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) not yet providing an alternative land for the land Railways gave up to build the underpass near the Cantonment Railway Station.

As for the ORR-Banaswadi project too, BDA Commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda has promised to compensate with an alternative plot of land at HSR Layout, but the Railways seem to be cold to the proposal.

Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Mahesh Mangal, however, said that discussions were underway whether the land should be given to the BDA on a temporary basis or permanently.

The Railways, he said, would willingly provide land for the development of the city, but the decisions would have to be taken at the higher levels.

As per the original schedule, the project was supposed to be completed in April ’07, but with the latest glitches its completion will depend on the Railways softening its stand on the project.