Contractors abandon road widening work in City

Ministers statement on controversial TDR adds to confusion

 They are apprehensive in the wake of the statement of Transport Minister R Ashok and stiff opposition to controversial Transferable Developmental Rights (TDR) at many places.

Sources in the BBMP said the confusion started with Ashok's statement that all the road-widening work would be reviewed and the project would be taken up on that stretch of road, which warrants for.

This statement has created fear among the contractors that their payments would get blocked if the work is discontinued midway due to any road-widening movement.

Wheelers Road
The latest to join the list of abandoned work was on Wheelers Road. The sources said slabs on the storm water drains were removed for road widening work following an assurance from Holy Angel's School that they would give them a portion of land.

However, the work has come to a standstill for the last one-and-half months. Neither have the slabs been placed on drains nor has the road widening work resumed.

Two people injured
The local residents said at least two people were injured badly after falling into the drain. But what is more worrisome is that the drain can invite an incident like the one happened last year when a five-year old Abhishek was washed away in a storm water drain and his body could not be traced.

The sources added that the work at Tagore Circle underpass at Basavanagudi too is going on at a snail's pace with people showing their unwillingness to give up their land.
The residents of Mount Joy Road are ready to fight tooth and nail against road-widening project to protect their properties.
DH News Service