'Alternative plan for Metro Station'

While the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has left the decision with regard to the realignment of the Metro line from R V Road to Bommasandra to the state government, the residents affected by the realignment have decided to propose an alternate plan for the consideration of the state government, Urban Development Department and the BMRCL.

The residents have suggested that instead of demolishing and acquiring the sites of 160 homes or acquiring land from Jayadeva Hospital, the ramps of the flyover connecting BTM Layout and Jayanagar and another connecting Bannerghatta Road and BTM Layout be demolished. The station can be constructed on the junction of the Bannerghatta Road and the BTM Road, they said.

According to K Ramesh, Coordinator of the Jayanagar Metro Victims Association, “The flyover is practically useless considering that it causes major jams and any way there is a signal at the end of the fly over,” he said.

This could, in turn, save the BMRCL costs with regard to land acquisition, they said. “The new plan requires very little land that has to be acquired. About 3,000 sq feet from Jayadeva and another 3,000 sq feet adjacent to the hospital. One of these is a private land and the other are small building that will have to be demolished. Some sacrifice is inevitable,” he said.

The residents who are finalising the drawings of the study will be presenting it to the CM, Urban development Department as well as the BMRCL in the next two days. “We will also be mailing it to the Planning Commission and the Public Investment Board which will be meeting on June 25 to discuss the Metro project.”