IIMB will inspect metro works under Phase 1 & 2: Karnataka HC

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the BMRCL to appoint the IIMB to prepare a report on whether the conditions laid down by the Centre for metro have been fulfilled. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay S Oka directed the BMRCL to submit a draft copy of the terms of reference to the IIMB by April 8, 2021.

The bench is hearing a PIL petition filed by D T Devare and Bangalore Environment Trust.

Namma Metro’s Phase 1 was sanctioned on May 11, 2006, and the MoU was signed on December 24, 2010. Phase 2 was sanctioned on February 21, 2014, and the MoU was signed on February 24, 2017. A specific prayer in the petition is for preparing and implementing the Comprehensive Mobility Plan and Integrated Traffic Rationalisation Plan, to which the state government and the BMRCL were obligated as per the MoUs.

The court has asked the IIMB to look into the documents pertaining to the sanction of both the phases, check the documents available with BMRCL and the state government, besides inspecting the work. “The institute shall submit a detailed report to the court as regards compliance with various conditions in the aforesaid documents and discharge of obligation by the BMRCL and the state government,” the court said.

At previous hearings, the state had placed an order dated September 29, 2020, granting approval to the Comprehensive Mobility Plan as recommended by the Bangalore Metropolitan Land Transport Authority. But the court observed that prima facie the plan was not as per the clause in the documents. Meanwhile, the court also found that there was nothing placed on record to show that Integrated Traffic Rationalisation Plan has been made by the state.