Road-widening scheme dropped

Road-widening scheme dropped

Special Correspondent
Decision follows pressure from property owners in the area
BANGALORE: Property owners on Nagarabhavi Ring Road can heave a sigh of relief as the State Government announced withdrawal of its proposed widening of the 12-km stretch into a 150-foot mutation corridor (linking highways) linking Magadi Road with Mysore Road at Kengeri.

The proposed widening of this 80-foot Ring Road would have led to the loss of private properties estimated at about Rs. 700 crore at the present market value.

Receiving a memorandum from a large number of aggrieved property owners on Thursday, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Shobha Karandlaje and IT-BT, Information and Excise Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu promised that the Government would not implement the decision to widen the ring road.

The ministers inspected the works taken up by the BBMP and BDA along with their respective commissioners Bharat Lal Meena and Siddaiah.

A large group of owners of properties on either side of the stretch at Unani Hospital, BDA Complex, Papareddy Palya and Hoysala Circle were present during the inspection. A similar memorandum had been presented to Transport Minister R. Ashok.

Ms. Karandlaje, who represents Yeshwantpur constituency that includes a part of the road, and Mr. Naidu said that they had discussed the plight of the owners, especially the poor, who had residential buildings numbering around 3,000 had decided to withdraw the proposal.

Mr. Naidu, who is the district-in-charge minister for Bangalore Urban, said the BJP Government would not implement a decision which was not in the interest of the people and directed the officials not to pursue the proposal.

Led by M. Srinivas, MLA, who represents the Rajarajeswarinagar constituency, the office-bearers of the Association of Property Owners on Kottigepalya (Magadi Road)-Kengeri (Mysore Road) stretch of the proposed 150-feet Mutation Corridor, in their memorandum, told the ministers that there was no need for this if five existing parallel roads were developed.

The property owners said that when the construction of another mutation corridor passing through Sumanahalli linking Tumkur Road with Mysore Road at Nayandahalli, which was originally planned, but held up owing to legal battles by property owners, was over in a few months, the 80-Foot Nagarabavi Road would have reduced vehicular traffic.

Request
The residents requested Mr. Meena and Mr. Siddaiah to complete the legal formalities of withdrawing the proposal on the basis of the assurance given by ministers.