Karnataka High Court rejects PIL for Chikkajala station on Metro Blue Line

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has refused to entertain a PIL seeking directions for a Metro station at Chikkajala on the under-construction Blue Line of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bhakru and Justice CM Joshi said that whether the station to be constructed at a particular place is not amenable to judicial review under Article 226 of constitution of India.

The petitioners, CR Naveen Kumar and other residents of Chikkajala, contended that initially the BMRCL had a proposal indicating a station at Chikkajala village in the Blue Line, which connects Central Silk Board and Kempegowda International Airport. However, in BMRCL’s annual report (2023-24), there is no mention of the station at Chikkajala.

The petitioners claimed that the BMRCL has not responded to the representation filed by the Panchayat Development Officer in July 2022.

The bench observed that a similar PIL, seeking directions for a station at Betta Halasuru village, was rejected in July. “The question whether a metro station is required at a particular spot in the line not to be examined by this court under Article 226 of constitution of India.

The route map of the metro station and the stops on the metro line clearly requires consideration by the authorities and their decision on the number of stops not to be amenable to judicial review,” the bench said. The court clarified that declining to entertain the petition will not preclude the petitioners from filing the representations. The bench also directed the BMRCL to respond to the representation filed by the Panchayat Development Officer.

In July, a few residents of Betta Halasuru had moved a PIL stating that the original DPR, Phase 2B project and map prepared in 2019, proposed a station at Betta Halasuru. According to the petitioners, the proposal was dropped since a developer withdrew funding.