Over 150 properties to be acquired for Metro phase II

With work on the phase II of Namma Metro commencing, more than 150 properties are to be acquired for the project covering 11 km of the 72-km line.

The properties to be acquired are located between Baiyappanahalli metro station and Sathya Sai Medical Institute. The first phase of acquisition will be between Baiyappanahali and Mahadevapura and the second between Mahadevapura and Sathya Sai Institute.

Some of the important properties to be acquired include portions of land belonging to SAP Laboratories, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Karnataka Trade Promotion Organisation and a few buildings belonging to Lowry Memorial School.

There has been very little resistance this time from the owners of the properties to be acquired, as they happen to be small portions of land and small buildings.

A senior official of Namma Metro said: “Much of the property the Metro is acquiring happen to be small portions of open land. Not too many major buildings are being acquired. This is one big reason why there has not been much resistance to acquisition.”

Earlier, properties on the stretch between Mysuru Road station and Kengeri station had also been acquired. Here too resistance had been very less, not only because heavy properties are not being acquired, but also because the compensation has been good for the land acquired.

Namma Metro is said to have spent around Rs 100 crore for land acquisition along the Mysuru Road station and Kengeri station. People feel the compensation has been good and close to the market guidance value. Work has begun on the acquisition in the area between Kanakapura Road and Nice Road. Compensation is expected to be high for the stretches in phase II.

Compensation
A sum of Rs 5,000 crore has been set aside for compensation for the second phase acquisition.

The cost of acquisition will be borne by the State government and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board will hand over the compensation to land owners.
The official said the basic work of utility shifting was yet to take place and then trees would be cut.

“There has always been protests when it comes to cutting trees. We also need to convince civic activists that we will be planting saplings and trees in other areas to compensate for the loss of trees along the Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield stretch. This will take some time.

“There will be a dialogue and a public hearing on tree cutting as well as road widening. Only after these approvals come through will the demolition of houses and offices begin. There is a lot of work to be done prior to building the piers. It is not something that can be done overnight. The public should understand that only after all these works will the actual work on the Metro begin,” the official added.