The New Indian Express 30.07.2010
Councillors decry road widening
BANGALORE: The issue of road-widening came up at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike council’s monthly meeting on Thursday.
Jayamahal councillor Gunashekar said the project had not been successful and was not providing any relief to people.
“People are worried and they don’t know how to divide property because of the road-widening plans,” he said.
He pointed out that the project, started more than four years ago, was meant for 80 roads in the city and nine roads had been successfully widened in all these years.
He said offering Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) certificates failed as only a handful of people had accepted it.
He said people were living in a fear that the BBMP might turn up anytime and demolish their property.
“The roads were marked many y ears ago and the Palike is continuing to mark more properties,” he said.
He also said the delay in implementing the Akrama- Sakrma scheme (regularisation of unauthorised buildings) was adding to the confusion.
He said on many roads, the Indian Road Congress specifications, which have prescribed the size of pavements depending on road size, were not being met.
Chamarajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed seconded the opinion and asked the mayor to clear the confusion on TDR.
The mayor said many roads in the list were being reviewed and a separate meeting for TDRs would be held at the earliest.