Peripheral Ring Road: 300 acres needed for NICE link

Even though the cabinet has approved the construction of the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) connecting it to the existing Bengaluru-Mysuru Road (Nice Road), the question before the officials now is how.

At a recent meeting, officials from the Urban Development Department (UDD) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) found that the approved PRR does not in effect link to the Nice Road. To complete the ring they are falling short of 300 acres.

The cabinet recently approved the 2006 notification for constructing 65 kms of PRR and the acquisition of 1810 acres of land.

This was approved by the Supreme Court in 2007. The farmers and the landowners in the area had also agreed to it.

To address the gap, UDD and BDA officials held special meetings on Friday and Saturday. The officials decided that the surveys will be done, and a report on further
land acquisition will be prepared. The officials are also preparing maps and diagrams of the ring, and an estimate of how much land will be required.

A cost estimate for land acquisition is also being worked out.

According to UDD sources, since the cabinet and the apex court have approved the project, the alignment cannot be altered. The BDA needs around 150 acres of land on both sides -- on the Tumkur Road and the Hosur Road to connect the two loops.

“We have learnt that the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises is already in possession of 146 acres around the Tumkur Road junction. As per the initial agreement, NICE had agreed to do the integration on this side once PRR was done. Since the project is already late, talks will have to be held with NICE again to ascertain their stand.

However additional four acres will still be needed on the Tumkur Road. BDA will also need an additional 146 acres around Hosur Road to connect the PRR to the Nice Road. So in total it is 154 acres if NICE agrees,” a source said.

The state government has agreed to lend Rs 10,000 crore to the BDA for land acquisition.

But the BDA officials are worried that the project cost will escalate as more area is needed to complete the ring. The BDA had initially estimated the project’s cost at Rs 18,000 crore.

BDA officials also said that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) -- the loan provider -- has put forth a condition that unless 70% of the land acquisition is
done tenders cannot be floated, and finances will not be released.