Project update: BMRC - One-man panel has a major task

One-man panel has a major task
The Times of India

The value for land lost to the Metro Rail project rests singularly with one man — retired civil servant P S S Thomas.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation, BMRC, has appointed an independent committee to look into the land valuation for the properties that will be razed down for the
Metro Rail to chug. Presently, the land valuation committee has just one member — Thomas — who however can appoint others if he chooses to. BMRC sources inform that the one-member committee has been approved by the Board. Such an independent committee was apparently necessitated by the fact that BMRC does not have a special land acquisition officer.
Retired bureaucrat Thomas has an arduous task ahead, evaluating properties on CMH Road at Indiranagar and MKK Road; Rajajinagar-Malleswaram is no mean task given the kind of resistance residents and traders alike have been putting up. BMRC sources explain that the committee is responsible for valuing the land and determining the market value. Different evaluations need to be made for different properties — a 30 feet by 40 feet property at MKK Road has a market value different from a similar one at CMH Road — across Bangalore.
A comprehensive report is slated to be submitted to the BMRC. Based on these submissions, the BMRC would award compensation under the provisions of Sec 29(a) Karnataka Land Acquisition Act — Land Acquisition by Consent.
Incidentally Thomas in the recent past, also headed another independent committee to review Bangalore citizenry’s suggestions and complaints against the Bangalore Development Authority’s Masterplan — the Comprehensive Development Plan, CDP.