BENGALURU: While Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd is proceeding at a rapid pace to get different stretches of Phase-II rolling, timely completion of the crucial Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield Corridor for which sought by the IT community now hangs in the balance. The reason: two companies en route have gone to court unwilling to part with their land to BMRCL.
IFB Industries Ltd and Bangalore Petroleum and Chemicals Ltd have approached the court, said M S Channappa Goudar, General Manager, Land Acquisitions Cell, BMRCL.“We require small portions of land, 1,710sqm from IFB and 1,657sqm from Bangalore Petroleum for the construction of the Visveswaraiah Industrial Area Metro station of Reach-1,” Goudar said. “However, since both the concerns are in need of the space, they have challenged our acquisition move in the High Court six months ago. So acquiring this stretch has temporarily been stayed by the court,” he added.
The Manager said that BMRCL was keen to get the stay vacated at the earliest. Asked about the problems it could pose if the litigation drags on, Goudar said, “There is a possibility that the completion of the Whitefield would get delayed.”While BMRCL wants land from IFB to construct Visveswaraiah Industrial Area station, the land from Bangalore Petroleum is required when the viaduct (Metro track) takes a turn from the station 250m away. The specific station is one of the 13 stations that constitute the Reach-1 line between Kundanahalli and Doddanakundi Industrial Area stations.
According to the company, “The 1,700-plus sqm of land that BMRCL wants falls under the ‘safe zone’ area. Whenever there is any danger, employees need to rush to this spot for their safety. So, we approached the court since this land is crucial for us.”The areas under litigation though form only a minor portion of this 15.5-km line.