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Bengaluru, Oct 16 (IANS) The Congress-led Karnataka government on Thursday said it will build a 117-km-long toll road within Bengaluru city over the next two years, aiming to reduce traffic congestion in the city by 40 per cent.
The new toll road will be called Bengaluru Business Corridor (BBC), and the project will be executed by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).
Addressing a press conference at Vidhan Soudha, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar made this announcement after the cabinet meeting.
He said, “Today the Karnataka government has taken a major decision in the cabinet meeting. I am announcing that the previous government had notified 117 km of road in the northern and southern parts of the Peripheral Ring Road. We have now renamed it as Bengaluru Business Corridor. It is located within Bengaluru city.”
The state government aims to complete the 117-km long road within the next two years.
The 100-metre-wide corridor will be developed in two stretches – BBC-1 and BBC-2 – in the southern and northern parts of Bengaluru.
“Once implemented, this project will reduce traffic congestion by 40 percent,” Shivakumar said.
He said, “Out of the 100 meter width, 65 meter will be allotted for the road including the service lane, and five meter will be reserved for the proposed double-decker metro project. The existing Bengaluru-Mysore road is also 65 meter wide. On the remaining land within the 100 meter corridor, farmers will be allowed to carry out commercial activities instead of being given cash compensation, keeping their interests in mind.”
He clarified that no new land would be acquired for the project.
“Every attempt to challenge it in court has failed. Even though 17 years have passed since the land was notified and there is pressure to de-notify, we will not do so. We have decided to move ahead on the road. Even opposition MLAs have lauded the project,” he claimed.
“For lands within the corporation limits, the compensation will be double the guidance value, and for rural areas, three times the guidance value.”
Shivakumar said, “In the northern part, the expenditure was earlier estimated at Rs 27,000 crore. Now, with the state government’s plans, it will be reduced to Rs 10,000 crore. I believe most land owners will prefer land-based compensation, but those who want cash can also opt for that.”
“Earlier, previous governments had notified land from Tumakuru Road towards Electronics City and further towards Mysuru Road. However, no further steps were taken to implement the project. One of the previous governments even considered abandoning it as the road would touch the NICE corridor,” he said.
Shivakumar asserted, “Today, Bengaluru urgently needs an alternative road. After our (Congress) government came to power, we decided that no land notified for roads should be de-notified. To address Bengaluru’s traffic problems, the BDA will implement this project.”
He said that earlier there was no provision for land compensation, but the state government has decided to compensate the farmers.
He said, “60:40 and 50:50 schemes are already in place. Since it is a commercial road, 35 per cent of the developed land will be given back to farmers as compensation. If they want commercial space, they will get 35 per cent; if they want residential, they will be allotted 40 per cent.”
“The new price will be fixed and two types of transferable development rights will be issued. Farmers can also opt for floor area ratio,” he said.
“The road will pass through Kogilu, Yelahanka, Electronics City, Mysuru Road and Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre. Of the total length, 75 km will fall in the northern part of the city and the rest in the south,” he said.
–IANS
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