BDA forms 9 teams to acquire 1,800-acre land to revive 52-km Peripheral Ring Road project

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has formed nine separate teams to acquire approximately 1,800 acres of land needed for laying a 52-km Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) connecting Hosur Road and Mysore Road through Bannerghatta and Kanakapura.

The proposed road – which will run parallel to the NICE corridor while maintaining a minimum distance of about 4 km – is expected to form a complete ring around the city, as it will connect the 74-km Bengaluru Business Corridor (BBC).

Notably, the BDA in its board meeting in October 2011 had cancelled the project.

Last month, the authority, however, appointed nine KAS officers as Special Land Acquisition Officers (SLOs), with the responsibility of acquiring land spread across 53 villages in Kengeri, Begur, Yeshwantpur, Dasanapura, Jigani and Uttarahalli hoblis. The proposed road falls under the jurisdiction of Bengaluru South, Anekal, and Bengaluru North taluks.

Similar teams were also formed for the 74-km BBC — earlier known as Peripheral Ring Road 1 — which is in an advanced stage of land acquisition as compared to the PRR.

About two decades ago, the BDA had issued a preliminary notification for 1,800 acres of land needed for the 52-km PRR. The nine teams are expected to complete the remaining procedures to take custody of the land, which includes issuing final notification. The fresh move has some landowners concerned, as the BDA is known for taking a long time to provide compensation.

It may be noted that the BDA has yet to make public its plan to build the road, even though it has begun the process of issuing notices to the landowners. Exact details, such as the width, number of lanes and alignment, are not yet publicly available.

In the backend, the BDA has nearly completed the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) for the project, which is being referred to as Peripheral Ring Road 2. In the next step, the authority will need to seek the approval of the state cabinet before floating tenders for civil works and issuing the final notification.

During a recent meeting with Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, the BDA discussed the project, along with a proposal to form six new layouts on both sides of the alignment.

When asked whether landowners would be compensated under the 2013 Act or the BDA Act, officials said the decision has not yet been finalised. In all likelihood, the BDA may offer developed land in the new layouts in exchange for acquiring the "undeveloped property" needed to build the road. The Bengaluru Development Minister had hinted at such a compensation formula during a farmers' meeting last year.