Union Minister for Transport, Road and Highways Oscar Fernandes has convened a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the six-lane National Highway project between Bangalore and Mysore, which will be taken up at a cost of `3,000 crore.
Public Works Minister H C Mahadevappa, who met Oscar in the national capital on Wednesday, told Express on Thursday that a meeting with officials of the Union Ministry of Surface Transport would take place on Monday.
“We are optimistic of getting clearance for this project, which will be taken up under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model,” he said.
Giving details about the project, Mahadevappa said initially 553 acres of land was required for the mentioned project which would come along the existing two-way lane on Bangalore-Mysore Road.
Though, land acquisition would be a problem in irrigated areas of Mandya, Maddur, Ramanagaram and Channapatna, the government is optimistic of getting the required land by offering higher prices for those who give up their lands.
According to the recent Land Acquisition Act passed by the Centre, the State government is expected to pay double the market price for land in towns and four times in rural areas.
The land acquisition itself is expected to cost around `1,200 crore. The State government would send a request to the Centre to bear the cost of land acquisition, he said.
Mahadevappa said the project would be taken up on a PPP model since it would be difficult for the government to fund the entire project. He said the State government has got a Detailed Project Report ready from the KRDCL even before the Centre decided to upgrade Bangalore-Mysore Road as a National Highway.