BENGALURU: To reduce traffic congestion, the state government is committed to constructing the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) from Hosur Road to Tumkur Road, Bengaluru Urban Development Minister K J George said on Monday.
George, along with BDA officials, convened a meeting with the farmers, who had threatened to agitate against the non-payment of compensation for their land that falls on the way of the PRR. In a BDA release, George said that a Committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to zero in on an amount needed for compensation, construction work and other needs of the peripheral road. Other members include Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development), principal secretaries from the Financial, Legal and Revenue Departments, the BDA Commissioner, engineers and Deputy Commissioner (Land Acquisition).
George said the committee will discuss pros and cons of the project and is expected to submit its report soon.
“Based on the report, in June, we shall meet the farmers whose land will be used for road construction. We shall prepare an action plan for the same. This project is delayed for more than one decade. But we are committed to construct the Peripheral Ring Road,” he said.
George told reporters that they need Rs 8,000 crore to be paid for farmers as compensation. “We will pay their compensation as per the Land Rule,” he said.
Raghu, a farmer leader from Bengaluru said there are about 4,000 farmers whose land (some partial) is expected to be utilised for the peripheral ring road. “According to the officials, they require over 1,800 acres of land. They have notified the land, but have not done any further work. It is difficult for us to sell or manage the land now. They should take and pay apt compensation,” he demanded.
Another farmer said that since the government has announced it would acquire the land, the distressed farmers cannot even sell their land or drill bore-wells on it to carry out agriculture activities.
KG Layout site allottees
George said the department is checking the list of applicants for the Kempegowda layout. “We will finalise and announce the list before June 15. We shall start allotting the sites by July,” he added.
Quarries to become parks
The state government is planning to launch a green revolution along with BDA, BBMP, BWSSB, BMRCL and Forest Department by planting saplings on abandoned quarries. “We have plans to convert them into tree parks,” George said.
A ROUTE MAP
The PRR will link major highways and the district roads from Tumkur Road, Mysore Road, Old Madras Road and Hosur Road. It will be will be developed from Hosur Road to Tumkur Road via K R Puram, Ballari Road, Old Madras road and Sarjarpur Road. This means, the stretch starts at Makali, adjacent to Tumkur Road , Soladevanahalli, Doddaballapur Road, Yelahanka Satellite town, Ballari Road, Kogilu, Doddagubbi, Old Madras Road, Avalahalli, Kadugodi, Channasandra, Hagaduru, Varthur, Sarjapura road, Chikkanagamangala and finally enter Electronic City and intersect with the Hosur Road (NH-7).