Padarayanapura residents take to streets against road-widening

M Maula, the sole breadwinner of a family of six, fears he will be pushed to the streets.

For, the proposed road-widening project on Hosahalli Main Road will eat up at least 18 feet of his house (450 sqft), leaving him and his family members in the lurch.

A similar fate awaits most residents in Padarayanapura who make a living by selling condiments, construction material and by repairing vehicles. While some may lose only 10 feet, others will be left with only three feet for their shops and houses.

On Monday, the residents downed the shops’ shutters to protest the decision of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.

However, traffic movement was smooth along the main road stretching from Vijayanagar Pipeline Road to Hosahalli Police Station. As the agitators gathered on 6th Main Road, the police were deployed in good numbers to avoid any untoward incident.

The protesters told mediapersons that the road-widening project will raze as many as 241 buildings which houses 600-odd families.

Rajashekar, joint convener of Bangalore Committee, an NGO that is backing the protest, said almost all shop owners and residents of the locality supported the bundh call to oppose the project.

“We have now helped the citizens by forming a citizens’ committee to organise and fight against widening of the road,” he said. Early last week, BBMP Standing Committee on Major Works chairman H Ravindra and local MLA Zameer Ahmad Khan had visited the spot and claimed there was a “consensus” among the residents on the project.

Even Mayor S K Natraj had promised to gather public opinion before going ahead with the project, the residents said. But on Monday, they alleged that the “consensus” was arrived at by threats of dire consequences.

10-day deadline

Meanwhile, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has set a ten-day deadline for the owners of 241 properties to vacate.

Speaking with reporters here, Palike Standing Committee on Major Work Chairman H Ravindra said the Palike will not succumb to any pressure and would go ahead with its road widening drive. "We had a series of meetings with the local residents, religious leaders and political leaders. None of them has any objection. But a few people are opposing our move. We are giving 10 days’ time to the owners to vacate else we will raze everything," said Ravindra.

He said property losers would get a good deal in the form of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) with extra rights.

Palike will ensure to sell off the TDRs at attractive rate. "These rates will be offered to those who vacate their properties willingly," said Ravindra.