HC seeks DPR of signal-free corridor

The High Court has directed BDA to furnish the documents pertaining to the BBMP tree officer’s permission to fell trees for the Sirsi Circle-Agara signal-free corridor project and the Detailed Project Report (DPR), within 48 hours.

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna heard the petition by the Citizen’s Action Forum and Koramangala First Block Residents Welfare Association.  

The counsel for the petitioners submitted that the contract awarded for the construction of underpasses at four junctions was flawed. He said the petitioners should be given the plan first. The Chief Justice asked BDA why it did not give the DPR. Senior counsel Nanjunda Reddy, who appeared for BDA, promised that BDA would furnish a DPR copy.

When the petitioners sought directions to stop felling of trees, the BDA counsel said that it had obtained permission from a tree officer who is on deputation from the Forest Department. The Bench questioned why the permission to chop trees was not published. 

The BDA replied that though it sought to fell 188 trees, permission was granted to axe only 88 trees. Of these, 35 had already been felled. 

When the petitioners pointed out that the felling of trees began on Friday evening, the Bench observed that BDA had taken up the work when the courts were closed. 

Contempt petition

The petitioners also moved a contempt petition against BDA for violating Court orders in connection with the construction of the Agara-Sirsi Circle flyover.

In its order dated Feb 27, the Court had ruled that BDA could not take up any work if it was not covered under the work order issued already. BDA had earlier submitted that they had issued all work orders. However, when the petitioner produced orders of tenders being awarded later also, the Division Bench of Justices D V Shylendra Kumar and B Sreenivase Gowda ordered emergent notices to BDA.