Move to acquire land for Metro has owners worried

Hundreds of residents in the southern and northern parts of the City are having sleepless nights, anticipating that their properties might be acquired for the Metro project.

The groundwork for the Phase II of the Metro project is yet to begin. 

However, the anxiety of the residents was roused after the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) issued a notification recently, inviting objections from the landowners.

According to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials, land will be acquired between Mysore Road terminal and Kengeri, from Byappanahalli station to ITPB and on the RV Road-Bommasandra stretch. As per the procedure, the KIADB will acquire land on behalf of BMRCL.

BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said the notification issued by the KIADB is a standard routine procedure that was followed for Phase I of the Metro project as well, and people need not get anxious. 

Efforts will be made to ensure that minimum land is acquired for the purpose so as to minimise inconveniences to the public, he added. 

Cutting project cost

Insiders say the decision to minimise land acquisition is also being seen as a step towards cutting down the project cost, which was estimated at Rs 26,405 crore in 2011. Already the cost of project for Phase I exceeded the estimate, sources added.

In all likelihood, BMRCL will begin construction work on Phase II by early 2014, and settle all land acquisition issues at the earliest. As per the plan, Phase II of the Metro project will have total 61 stations, 12 of which will be underground, requiring about 180-200 hectares of land, and about 2,000 properties will be acquired.

Most of the land will be used for building the 14 Metro stations between Byappanahalli and ITPB, five on the Mysore Road-Kengeri stretch and 16 stations between RV Road and Bommasandra. 

Land acquisition will follow the terms of the KIADB Act, 1966, and General Land Acquisition Act, 1894.