State plans to extend Metro

State plans to extend Metro

Staff Reporter

Integrated transport hubs planned at

several places

Grant of 53.913 acres of NGEF land sought

BANGALORE: The State Government on Tuesday submitted before the Karnataka High Court that it has proposed extending the metro from Yeshwantpur to Hesarghatta Cross and from R.V. Road Junction to Banashankari.

The State also said it had planned to set up integrated transport hubs in several parts of the city, including Byappanahalli, Peenya, Mysore Road and Banashankari, to provide expeditious and smooth transport to the residents of Bangalore.

The Government made these submissions in an application filed by it before Justice Rammohan Reddy seeking grant of 53.913 acres of NGEF land on Old Madras Road. Appearing for the State, Advocate-General B.V. Acharya said as NGEF had been wound up and it was now under liquidation, the State had decided to file an application before the court for grant of land. He said part of the NGEF land is sought for by the Bangalore Metro, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation for setting up a transport hub on Old Madras Road. He said while the KSRTC and BMTC have already filed applications for grant of land, he was filing an application on behalf of the State seeking land for Bangalore Metro.

He said the metro is to be completed in five schedules. The Byapanahalli-Cricket stadium (KSCA) stretch would be completed by March 2011, Yeshwanthpur-Swastik by November 2010, underground section by October 2011, City Railway Station-Mysore Road section by October 2011 and City Market-R.V. Road Junction by December 2011. He said the commissioning of the Byapanahalli-stadium line would depend on how fast work was taken up on construing a workshop and depot at the NGEF Grounds. The entire Metro project is expected to cost Rs. 6,395 crore. The statement said the metro, when it came up, would reduce travel time from Byapanahalli to Mysore Road from the current two hours to 30 minutes. Similarly, the distance from Yeshwanthpur to R.V. Road Junction could be covered in 28 minutes against the present two hours.

Justice Rammohan Reddy directed the official liquidator, who is in-charge of the liquidation proceedings of the NGEF, to look into the State’s proposal and file his response before the court.

The court adjourned further hearing on the case by two weeks.