As the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) gets set to take over the Rs 1,020-crore project, the fanfare seems to have clouded a crucial nugget of information: that a Public Interest Litigation and writ petitions against the road’s alignment are pending before the Karnataka High Court.

The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) was on July 10, 2006 appointed nodal agency for the expressway. Around 18 months later, the project is still having new implementing authorities.

Marking territory
The BMRDA is marking territory for the 21.2-km expressway from Challakere (on Outer Ring Road) to Devanahalli, while affected property owners are questioning the rationale behind another change of hands, when the road is caught in litigation.

“It will take another couple of months before the NHAI formally takes over. Till then, we have to take the marking exercise forward,” says N Sriraman, Additional Commissioner, BMRDA.

According to the BMRDA, funding issues had led to the project changing many hands.  The critical question — on whether the road would be a time-bound, viable project— remains because the BMRDA endorses the contentious road alignment, that was notified last August.

After BMRDA, the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) had taken over the road, rechristened as a State Highway (Special). While it’s learnt that more than 800 objections were filed against the alignment, there has been no follow-up action, according to the affected property owners.

New jurisdiction
“The State is presenting a rosy picture to the NHAI while there are many issues connected to the alignment, apart from pending cases, that need to be addressed,” says Ramanujan, a resident of Challakere. Some of the affected residents also fear that with the State passing the project on to the national body, the Supreme Court could hold the new jurisdiction on possible litigation.

Hemchandra, a resident of Kylasanahalli, a village covered in the alignment, says that if change of jurisdiction is in the State agenda, the property owners would approach the Supreme Court.

LONG ROAD
*Development of Nagawara Main Road planne

*Development of Hennur-Bagalur Road planned

*BMRDA Expressway proposed

*KRDCL State Highway notified (in place of expressway)
*SH scrapped; NHAI takes over expressway