The Hindu 03.12.2010
GKVK link road divides BBMP standing panel
Staff Reporter
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There is no need for the road, says councillor |
Members of BBMP Standing Committee for Major Works directed officials to halt work
They want the work to stop till a probe is held into acquisition of 24 acres of GKVK land
Bangalore: The link road connecting Yelahanka and Yeshwanthpur that
runs through the Gandhi Krishi Vijnan Kendra (GKVK) is in the eye of the
storm again. On Thursday, members of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara
Palike’s Standing Committee for Major Works directed officials to halt
the road construction till an inquiry is carried out into the
acquisition of 24 acres of GKVK land.
The issue was recently raised in the BBMP Council by Nagapura
councillor N. Harish, also a member of the standing committee, who said
there was no need for the road and that officials had violated the
Comprehensive Development Plan 2015.
Divisive issue
Opinion about the need for the road is clearly divided even within
the standing committee. Committee chairman H. Ravindra claims the road
is necessary to connect developing areas, Mr. Harish is against it
saying such an intrusion would hit research work at GKVK.
Mr. Ravindra said that the BBMP would acquire an 80-metre stretch of
the Larsen and Turbo (L&T) property on Bellary Road to help connect
the route. The property would be acquired through the Transfer of
Development Rights . A committee comprising experts and officials will
be constituted to look into the land acquisition, he said.
Meanwhile, GKVK experts alleged that the road would affect biodiversity on the verdant campus.
The BBMP had already felled around 1,800 trees in violation of the
Forest Act. GKVK’s Associate Director D. Noothan said the civic
authority was pushing the project despite stiff public opposition.
The project was also in violation of both the Forest Act and the
Karnataka Town and Country Planning (KTCP) Act. Meanwhile, B.C.
Venkatesh, a resident of BEL Layout adjacent to the GKVK campus,
expressed his worry over the low-hanging high-tension cables, which
posed a risk to road-users. Following this, the committee decided to
write to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company to shift the pylons within
15 days.
