Metro: Teething Troubles
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tsubba - 18 October, 2007
| Bangalore
| Metro Rail
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.
COMMENTS
tsubba -
6 March, 2008 - 16:57
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.
=======================================
wow!! the cost is now 6395 crores?
tsubba -
17 March, 2008 - 16:59
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.
tsubba -
17 March, 2008 - 17:05
Metro rail work to begin at
Byappanahalli
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
tsubba -
25 March, 2008 - 17:07
Looks like the metro station at
trinity circle near nalli's showroom is in trouble. Some folks at Craig
park layout have got an interim stay.
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.
tsubba -
11 April, 2008 - 17:08
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.
tsubba -
20 April, 2008 - 17:10
After trinity circle, now MG road(plaza theater) also in the courts.
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.
tsubba -
23 April, 2008 - 15:11
Metro: High Court stays land acquisition on Mysore Road
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.
blrsri -
23 April, 2008 - 17:26
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!
tsubba -
23 April, 2008 - 17:31
awesome. sick of hearing about high court cases.
[flickr-photo:id=2436241027,size=m]
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