Supreme Court okays demolition of Plaza cinema for metro station

Supreme Court okays demolition of Plaza cinema for metro station
New Delhi, Apr 15, DHNS:

The Supreme Court has allowed Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) to take possession of Plaza cinema plot for the construction of a station.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan dismissed the petition of Shravani Properties Pvt Ltd which challenged the acquisition of the prime land for the metro project. However, the bench permitted the owner to make a representation to the BMRCL for sharing the land with metro consultancy.

Senior Advocate Basavaprabu Patil appearing for Shravani said the acquisition of Plaza cinema land was illegal as the proposed station would be constructed on the land which was on the other side of the metro.

The 70-year-old building has already been razed to make way for a state-of-the-art station on the seven-km stretch of the Metro Rail connecting M G Road and Byappanahalli. The station will have a concourse and will be connected with platforms on the opposite side of M G Road via a skywalk. The station will have entry from both M G Road and Church Street.

Patil said the Karnataka High Court order should be stayed as it has upheld the decision of the authorities to change the alignment of the metro rail. The Karnataka High Court on March 26 dismissed a batch of petitions challenging the alignment of Namma Metro on CMH Road in Indiranagar and also questioning the legality of the project as it was being implemented under the Mysore Tramways Act and not the Indian Railways Act.

Original sketch of metro station sought

Bangalore: The High Court has directed the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to produce the original sketch of the metro rail station proposed at South End Circle.

Hearing a petition by Zakirunissa, who had moved the High Court challenging acquisition of her land, the division bench comprising Justice V G Sabhahit and Justice B Manohar sought the original document.

When BMRCL submitted that they do not have it, the bench directed BMRCL to file an affidavit and produce the original sketch. The petitioner had contended that despite the availability of Government land, the respondents are trying to acquire her land.