BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court disposed of a public interest litigation seeking direction for construction of a Metro station at Bettahalasuru Cross on the metro line between KR Puram to Kempegowda International Airport as originally planned.
The HC also issued directions to the State Government, the Union Government and the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to consider the representation of the petitioners.
A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi passed the order after hearing the petition filed by BG Nanjundappa and four others in Yelahanka. The petitioners said they have submitted representations on three occasions from April to May to all the authorities concerned, including chief minister, not to drop the construction of Metro station at Bettahalasuru Cross as designed from the original plan of Metro train route 2B, but they were not considered.
The petitioners said they wanted to know the reasons for dropping the Metro station at Bettahalasuru Cross, and hence submitted an application under the Right to Information Act, to which a reply on May 19, 2025, was given stating that the construction of Metro station in the said place was dropped due to non-grant of funds by Embassy Group.
Stating that the said reason is flimsy and highly illegal and against the object of the Metro project and is not in public interest, the petitioners stated that Bettahalasuru village panchayat covers seven villages and Hunusamaranahalli Municipal Council covers five villages and such other adjacent villages, in all about 20 villages, will be benefitted by the Metro station at the Bettahalasuru Cross. Population of these villages is about 1.50 lakh. About 9,000 employees are working in the Kempegowda International Airport and are residing in these villages, presently travelling by BMTC buses.
The petitioners stated that the people residing in their villages and surrounding areas will have to face severe hardship if the Metro station is not constructed at Bettahalasuru Cross because the distance between Bagaluru Cross and Doddajala Metro Station is 8.7 km and there is no intermediate station between the two destinations.