JOIN USThe project, which aims to connect some of the emerging towns like Devanahalli, Ramanagar and Dobbespet, requires acquisition of large chunks of private land.
This, in turn, calls for huge amount of investment.
Hence, the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) has been finding it difficult to implement the project.
The government, therefore, wants to throw the project open for private companies, he said in reply to a question by Ramalinga Reddy of the Congress in the Legislative Assembly. The project is planned to be implemented in four components: 89-km road between Dobbespet and Devanahalli at an estimated cost of Rs 1,110 crore, 80-km road between Devanahalli and Attibele at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore, 128-km road between Attibele and Ramanagar at an estimated cost of Rs 1,600 crore and 70-km road between Ramanagar and Dobbespet at an estimated cost of Rs 1,078 crore, the Chief Minister said.
The government has so far not initiated the process of land acquisition for the project, he added.
Signal-free corridor
To another question by BJP's H Halappa on the heavy traffic jam near Okalipuram, Law and Parliamentary Minister S Suresh Kumar said the BBMP and the Railways will jointly commence implementation of a Rs 115-crore signal-free corridor project next month to ease the traffic congestion.
An eight-lane road will be constructed between Khoday Circle and Magadi Road entrance as part of the project. The Railways has already agreed to hand over the required land for the project. Tenders have been finalised, paving way for the launch of project next month, he added.
Cauvery water for villages
The State government is planning to provide drinking water from the river Cauvery in villages, where pipelines of drinking water scheme meant for Bangalore, pass through.
Disclosing this in the Legislative Assembly, Minister for Bangalore Water Supply S Suresh Kumar said the BWSSB and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department are jointly drawing up a plan to provide drinking water supply to people in these villages.
The BWSSB pumps the Cauvery water from Shivanasamudram, which is about 100 km from Bangalore.
However, the BWSSB will not be able to share water out of 500 million litre per day (MLD) that will be pumped to Bangalore by 2012 under the Cauvery IV stage, II phase project, he added. He also said steps will be taken to set up a sewage treatment plant at Byramangala Lake in Ramanagar taluk. The lake has been contaminated by sewerage water discharged from Bangalore City. In a written reply to Congress' Ramalinga Reddy, Suresh Kumar said the Cauvery IV stage, II phase water supply project is estimated to cost Rs 3,383 crore.
The BWSSB is planning to provide drinking water to the entire BBMP area, including 110 villages under the project, he added.