BENGALURU: In a major relief to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, the High Court has given it the green signal to go ahead with acquiring land from an apartment complex to complete the widening of the road near the Jyotipura Metro station and build footpaths to the station. The station figures on the crucial KR Puram to Baiyappanahalli stretch for which trial runs begin on Wednesday.
The court last week asked BMRCL to go ahead with the acquisition of 119 sqm and deposit the compensation of Rs 2.58 crore with the civil court. “BMRCL required 261 sqm of land in this complex but after negotiation with the apartment residents, it has been decided that 119 sqm would be taken up so that it does not impact them much. We are giving them the same quantum of land in the vicinity,” BMRCL General Manager (Land Acquisition) M S Channappa Goudar said.
The acquisition was stalled for a couple of years as the Royal Heritage Apartments Owners’ Association, which takes care of the 105 flats in the residential complex, and the family of the original land owner Srinivas (who had handed over land to build the apartment 25 years ago) both staked claim to the compensation amount.
The apartment had taken the matter to court and obtained a stay on the acquisition.
“We impressed upon the court that it had to be expedited as the line is scheduled for launch by August-end. The court decided that the matter of who would get the compensation can be decided later but the acquisition can be completed first,” he added. BMRCL will also pay over Rs 5 lakh to the association for a compound wall.
KR PURA-BYP STRETCH TRIAL RUN TODAY
Trial run for the KR Puram-Baiyappanahalli line is all set to begin from Jyotipura Metro station by 4 pm on Wednesday, said Metro sources. An official said, “The train will be charged at Jyotipura by afternoon and we plan to start the trial process by 4 pm. The civil interface test will be done on Wednesday wherein the floor of the train will be checked for alignment with the platform.”