BENGALURU: The ongoing road widening work by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in KR Puram, has been held up thanks to a logjam over a parcel of land with the Railways. Two meetings have already been held between the departments to resolve the lingering issue. A spot visit scheduled for Tuesday by officials to carry out physical measurement of the land did not happen as railway officials could not make it.
The road widening work was started by BMRCL in connection with its Purple Line extension. It is being built from Benniganahalli up to K R Puram railway station.
A BMRCL source told TNIE, “We require 3,500sqm of railway land for road laying work near KR Puram Railway Station. Railways has agreed to give the land, provided we give an equal portion of land in exchange. We paid the Bangalore Development Authority Rs 8.32 crore and acquired one acre and 14 guntas of land falling under Survey No. 91. We also handed over the parcel of land required to the Bengaluru Railway division.”
However, Railways contends that a major chunk of land being handed over to it was not BDA property, but has always been railway property. “Due to this tussle, road widening has been completed 90 per cent and was stopped now. Just 300 metres more needs to be completed.
Unless Railways accepts the parcel of land handed over to them and gives us the required 3,500 sqm of land, work cannot go ahead.” The issue boils down to the fact that Survey No. 91 comprises two acres and 25 guntas of land.
“Railways owns 1 acre and 11 guntas of land in it. However, the balance land of one acre and 14 guntas is not railway property. We have decided to carry out a ground physical assessment to redress the issue,” explained another source.
Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru, Yogesh Mohan told TNIE, “The issue will be sorted out soon.”