SC tells BDA to take prompt steps for PRR project

Expressing concern on taking over of just three acres and 21 guntas of land for Peripheral Ring Road project, the Supreme Court has directed the Bangalore Development Authority to act promptly to notify acquisition of additional 589 acres 13.76 guntas of land for the purpose.

A bench of Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjeev Khanna said the proposal in this regard should be sent to the Karnataka government as early as possible.

The top court said simultaneously, BDA may start passing the awards and taking possession of the lands notified for PRR.

The state government was also directed to deliver possession of the government lands notified for the purpose of PRR to the BDA.

The court also directed the BDA to move the Karnataka Pollution Control Board to conduct fresh environmental public hearings and inform this court the latest position regarding environmental clearance for PRR.

The court passed these directions on October 26 while hearing a case related to compliance of its 2018 judgement on Dr K Shivaram Karanth layout.

The peripheral ring road (PRR) was proposed encircling the Bangaluru city for a length of 116 km on November 27, 2006 by the BDA. Following several litigations, as per the order issued on November 24, 2018, the government has approved to implement the PRR project for road construction with an estimated cost of Rs.5616.41 crore. Out of which, 16% of the cost Rs 901.72 crore would be borne by the state government. The remaining 84% cost of the project Rs 4714.69 crore of loan would be availed from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) in three stages.

Going through a status report on PRR project filed after its order, the bench said, "It is clear that PRR was proposed as early as in 2006 by the BDA and no progress has been made except notifying the lands for acquisition. It appears that possession of only three acres and 21 guntas of land has been taken so far."

It directed the BDA to file a fresh status report within two weeks, clarifying the latest position on environmental clearance of the project. The court also ordered the state government to file an affidavit clarifying its stand, in relation to PRR, within two weeks.

With regard to issues related to formation of Dr K Shivaram Karanth layout, the court said passing of the awards as well as taking possession of the lands has slowed down considerably. It directed the BDA to speed up the acquisition of the lands. It granted four weeks’ further time to send the proposal for acquisition of the left-out lands for the formation of the layout to the state government.

The court also clarified that there was no bar for the BDA to form the sites in the recovered lands, subject to the land use in the approved layout plan, and dispose of them by public auction as the development authority has to incur huge amount expenses for formation of the layout.