Metro: Teething Troubles
NGEF Land Acquisition Troubles.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation's (BMRC) plans to take up construction of a metro terminal and a depot has been delayed as it has not been able to take over 30 acres of land belonging to the NGEF due to litigation.
The Metro rail project is facing another legal hurdle near the Old Madras road area. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation’s (BMRC) plans to take up construction of a metro terminal and a depot has been delayed as it has not been able to take over 30 acres of land belonging to the NGEF due to litigation.
The Supreme Court had recently directed the Karnataka High Court to maintain status quo as the land was under liquidation. The official liquidator appointed by the High Court had set aside the process to auction the land following a request from the BMRC.
“But one of the firms that participated in auctioning moved the SC, challenging the liquidator’s decision to set aside the auction. The apex court has directed the HC to maintain status quo. Hence, there has been a delay in starting the work here,” BMRC Managing Director V Madhu said.
The BMRC has proposed to construct a metro rail terminal and a depot on 60 acres of land located off Old Madras road (including the NGEF land). While it has already taken possession of around 30 acres of land belonging to the Nuclear Power Corporation, the BMRC has sought 30 acres of NGEF land in the area.
“We wanted to issue a tender for constructing the terminal in the first week of October, but couldn’t do it. The next hearing is on October 29,” Mr Madhu said.
Besides a terminal, the State transport department has planned a traffic integration point on the same piece of land.
As per the plan, the services of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and the city taxi will be integrated with the metro rail.
The HC had recently stayed the acquisition of a piece of property on CMH road (near Old Madras road) by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board meant for metro rail project.
“Some shop-owners on CMH road had moved the HC against acquisition. There is a stay on a plot. But it will not affect the project in any way,” Mr Madhu said.
As far as the M G Road is concerned, there is no delay. The foundation for putting up piers has been laid. After 15 days, erection of piers will be taken up.
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NGEF Case
State plans to extend Metro
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 constructing 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.
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wow!! the cost is now 6395 crores?
No space for metro on NH4
Extension of Metro Rail line hits roadblock
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/17/stories/2008031754920400.htm
The extension of the Metro Rail line from Yeshwantpur to Hesaraghatta Cross appears to have hit a roadblock after the NHAI took up widening of the Bangalore-Tumkur Road (NH4).
The alignment of the extension line was planned on the eastern side of Tumkur Road. However, with NHAI taking up six-laning of the Tumkur Road till Nelamangala (19.5 km), Bangalore Metro has little space to construct the viaduct.
As the contract for construction of the four-lane elevated road on Tumkur Road on the same stretch has already been awarded, it has become difficult to modify the contract terms to construct the Metro line atop the four-lane elevated highway.
“We are bargaining hard with the NHAI to provide us some space for construction of the viaduct so as to avoid acquisition of private property. We hope our negotiations with NHAI will be fruitful,” said V. Madhu, MD, BMRC.
Mr. Madhu told The Hindu that by the time Bangalore Metro decided to extend the line till Hesaraghatta Cross, NHAI too had decided to widen the road.
The proposed extension passes through developed areas, and recently many private properties were acquired for road-widening on this stretch. “We do not intend to make further acquisition,” he said.
Bangalore Metro has told NHAI that the six plus four-lane road between the city and Nelamangala was sufficient to take the traffic and there was no need to leave space for future expansion.
Once the NICE Ring Road is commissioned and the Bangalore Development Authority’s Peripheral Ring Road is completed, there will be less truck traffic on this stretch, BMRCL has argued supporting its claim.
Thus, the space sought to be left for future road expansion can be given to Bangalore Metro.
However, NHAI Chairman N. Gokulram said that the contracts for strengthening National Highway 4 had already been awarded and it was too late to rework the alignment. It was for the Bangalore Metro to decide on its line, he said.
Work @ B'halli from 20th
By Rashmi R Hebbur, DH News Service, Bangalore:
http://deccanherald.com/Content/Mar172008/state2008031757914.asp
The work on city's major commuter-friendly Traffic Integration Hub, the biggest of the four multi-type traffic integration points planned in the city, and the Main Workshop and Depot of much-awaited Bangalore Metro, is set to start this week, at Byappanahalli.
Metro’s main workshop cum depot, and the traffic integration hub which would inter-link Metro with other transport systems is proposed to utilise about 84 acres of land at Byappanahalli. BMRC requires 66 acres for establishing Workshop, Depot, Traffic Integration facility, Receiving Sub-station and for approach roads. In addition, KSRTC and BMTC have planned their bus stands and depots in another 9 acres land, each, to support the traffic integration.
BMRC has already taken possession of 25 acres land for the purpose and the first package of works on these lands is scheduled to start from March 20, according to official sources. However, while BMRC is negotiating to get six more acres soon, major chunk of required land - 53.107 acre - belonging to the New Government Electric Factory (NGEF) is yet to be acquired.
Legal hurdle
While commissioning of Metro Rail, due by March 2010, depends on timely setting up of the Metro Workshop at Byappanahalli, the acquisition of required NGEF land is facing a legal hurdle.
Since NGEF is under liquidation, its assets are vested with Karnataka High Court which is monitoring the liquidation proceedings.
However, the State Government has moved an application seeking permission for acquiring the land for BMRC, KSRTC and BMTC, which is pending adjudication.
Meanwhile, with Court’s permission, BMRC has completed initial soil tests, surveys and estimations on NGEF land also. It has split the works at Byappanahalli into two packages to prevent delay and the first package works on presently available lands is to start on March 20.
Metro workshop
The Metro workshop will have to provide facilities for carrying out maintenance, repairs and periodical checks of Metro trains. The trains will rest in the Stabling Yards, while they are not on run and undergo daily maintenance here. There will be test tracks and testing facilities for new coaches and engines, and a training centre for Metro workmen, according to official sources.
In two more years, people from Eastern and North-eastern regions of Bangalore may not have to travel on roads beyond Byappanahalli, to reach other parts of city. They can come to Byappanahalli using any other transport and hop on to Metro trains. Metro Traffic Integration Hub will integrate various modes of transport to make it more accessible. According to sources, while existing Byappanahalli railway station will be linked to Metro station, KSRTC and BMTC will build new bus terminals on 18 acres of NGEF land, yet to be acquired. There will be auto-rickshaw and taxi points, vehicle parking lots and pedestrian sub-ways too. Similar traffic hubs are planned at three other locations - Peenya, Banashankari and Mysore Road.
official updates here:
http://www.bmrc.co.in/pdf/prfeb08.pdf
Trinity Circle Station In Trouble
Land acquisition for Metro on M.G. Road stayed
The Hindu
The Karnataka High Court on Monday stayed the acquisition of land on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bangalore by the State Government for the construction of the Metro railway station by BMRC.
Justice Ashok B. Hinchigeri passed the interim order on a petition by C.D. Medappa and another person, both residents of Craig Park Layout on Mahatma Gandhi Road.
The petitioners contended that they are the absolute owners of land at Municipal Number 21 on the road. They said that on January 23, 2006, the Karnataka Industries Areas Development Board (KIADB) issued a notification for acquiring their land for construction of the metro railway station.
Subsequently, the board issued a final notification under Section 28 (4) of the KIADB Act on October 24, 2007 for taking over their land. On December 29, 2007, the Board issued another notification giving them 30 days time to vacate the premises.
Questioning the preliminary and final notifications and also the notice asking them to vacate the premises, the petitioners said the Board’s orders smacked of arbitrariness.
They said though the notifications stated that their lands are being acquired for industrial purposes, Metro is not an industrial project. Nor is the Metro project an undertaking for building up industrial infrastructure.
The petitioner said their lands are surrounded by several houses and it is residential in nature. If the metro station was to come up, it would lead to noise and sound pollution apart from regular movement of people. They said many of these problems would not be encountered if the station were to be shifted.
Justice Hinchigeri, in an interim order, stayed the acquisition of the property. He ordered issue of notices to the State, BMRC and other parties.
Metro: Binnamangala case
Plea against land for Metro rejected
http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/10/stories/2008041061920400.htm
The beleaguered Bangalore Metro got a shot in the arm on Wednesday when the Karnataka High Court upheld the acquisition of land at Binnamangala in Bangalore for the project.
The court rejected a petition by a leading construction firm, Puravankara, challenging the acquisition of 2,34,489 square feet of land of municipal numbers 1 to 15 in ward no 85 on Old Madras Road at Binnamangala.
The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) had acquired the land at Manavarthe Kaval village in K.R. Puram Hobli for Bangalore Metro.
Challenging the acquisition, the petitioner said it is neither for industrial purpose nor for infrastructure. It said acquisition for metro could not be justified under the KIADB Act.
It said the comprehensive development plan (CDP) of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had categorised the area as residential. It urged the court to quash the acquisition.
Justice Ashok Hinchigeri rejected the petition and upheld the acquisition of land for Bangalore Metro.
mg road station in the courts too
Metro station: High Court extends stay
http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/09/stories/2008040952500100.htm
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday extended the stay on acquisition of land on Mahatma Gandhi Road for construction of a station by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation. Justice Ashok B. Hinchigeri passed the interim order on a petition by C.D. Medappa and another person, both residents of Craig Park Layout on M.G. Road. According to the petitioners, they are the absolute owners of the land at Municipal Number 21 on M.G. Road. The Karnataka Industries Areas Development Board (KIADB) had issued a notification for land acquisition for the metro rail station on January 23, 2006. A final notification under Section 28 (4) of the KIADB Act was issued on October 24, 2007, they said. On December 29, 2007, it had issued another notification giving them 30 days to vacate the premises, the petitioners said. Questioning the notifications, they said that the board could not acquire their land under the KIADB Act. Enough government land was available on M.G. Road itself and there was no need to acquire private land, they said.
Justice Hinchigeri, in an interim order, extended the stay on acquisition of the property. He adjourned further hearing on the case.
In a related matter, Justice Hinchigeri adjourned further hearing on a petition by Shravani Developers challenging the acquisition of Plaza Cinema on M.G. Road, which they had purchased.
In their counters filed in both the cases, the State termed as “baseless” and “false” allegations that it had deliberately changed the alignment of the metro rail on M.G. Road. It said that it had on February 28, 2004 published details of the properties that were sought to be acquired only as a tentative measure, but the petitioners had gone by media reports.
Mysore Road in courts too
http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/22/stories/2008042260500300.htm
The Karnataka High Court, in an interim order, stayed the acquisition of land on Mysore Road by the Karnataka State Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for the Bangalore Metro project.
Justice Ashok B. Hinchigeri passed the order on petitions by V. Satyanarayana Setty, N. Vinay Gupta, K. Shah, Premchand, Parasmal and G.D. Patel, all residents of Mysore Road. The residents had challenged the acquisition of their land by the KIADB for the Bangalore Metro project.
Making it clear that they were not against the Metro project, they said the acquisition of their land was irrational and illogical and that it would not serve any public interest.
They said their land was sought when the Bangalore Metro initially planned a Metro station (terminal) there.
They said the KIADB on January 23, 2006, issued a preliminary notification seeking to acquire their land. It issued the final notification on October 24, 2007.
Subsequently, Bangalore Metro decided to extend the metro line on Mysore Road up to Nayandanahalli, which is 2 km from their land. The petitioners said there was no need for the authorities to acquire their land when the project line had been extended.
They said they had not only filed objections to the acquisition notification, but also suggested the authorities to realign the terminal on the median of the road instead of putting it up on their land. Their suggestion to realign the metro line and their objections to the acquisition were rejected.
They urged the court to stay the final notification and also call for records. They also urged the court to pass an interim order as they feared that they might be dispossessed of their land.
Mr. Justice Hinchigeri, in his interim order, stayed dispossession of the petitioners’ land and adjourned further hearing on the case.
Plaza cinema case
In a related matter, Mr. Justice Hinchigeri adjourned further hearing on the acquisition of Plaza Cinema building on M.G. Road by Bangalore Metro.
Shravani properties, which had purchased the property, had questioned the acquisition. It said that the acquisition proceedings smacked of arbitrariness. It said the alignment of the metro line on M.G. Road had been changed to “save” some property owners.
It urged the court to stay the final notification.
Mr. Justice Hinchigeri adjourned further hearing on the case.
hard hats at b'halli!
the work seems to have started at the byappanahalli stn..land levelling is under progress and some construction equipment moving in..
hope there wont be delays!
yahoo!!!