Stalled JnNURM projects to get priority

The projects announced under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) and stalled later, will be completed on a priority basis, district in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Monday.

Two steel bridges and a concrete bridge that were cleared under JnNURM will come up in the City. A three-km steel bridge from Minerva Circle to Town Hall will be constructed on JC Road at a cost of Rs 139 crore, while the other steel bridge of 700 mts will come up at Shivananda Circle at a cost of Rs 57 crore.

A concrete bridge will come up in Kormanagala, from the Sony World junction to Kendriya Sadan (2.4 km) at a cost of 214 crore.

Elevated toll roads
Reddy said that the government was forced to build elevated toll roads -  Silk Board to Hebbal (16 km); KR Puram to Gorguntepalya (21 km) and Jnanabharathi to Whitefield (27 km) in a bid to decongest the City roads. When asked about the logic behind tolling City roads, Reddy said that this wasn’t a final decision.

“For now, it has been decided to toll the roads, but the chief minister might change his mind later. But, by constructing these elevated roads, 130 junctions in the City will be cleared,” he said, adding that Rs 50 crore had been set aside for the preparation of detailed project reports, which are expected to be submitted in the next six months.

Reddy, who earlier in the day held a meeting with the railway officials, said that the government had decided to release funds for the long-pending Rs 59-crore Okalipuram eight-lane corridor project.

Reddy added that the BBMP which is reeling under huge financial crisis, was unable to pay the mobile and wireless bills of the officials. Including the loans and the pending bills, the Palike has a debt burden of Rs 9,000 crore, he added.