SEEKING JUSTICE: Residents of Kyalasanahalli protesting against the alignment of the expressway, near Hennur Road in Bangalore on Monday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: Residents of Kyalasanahalli and neighbouring villages on the city's outskirts on Monday protested against the alignment of the proposed 21-km expressway to the Devanahalli International Airport. They alleged foul play and said the new alignment spares the powerful while targeting farmers and other residents.

P.V. Ramesh of Bagalur said the alignment proposed by the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority was different from the one notified in November 2006, which had been prepared using satellite images. "There was a wide publicity. The local administration had given the map showing places that would be acquired," said Mr. Ramesh, who has a three-acre Nilgiri grove.

Residents surprised

Mr. Ramesh said the residents were surprised to find the Karnataka Road Development Corporation personnel leaving the notified properties untouched and marking new lands and houses located 150 metres away as part of the new alignment. Kothanur Anjanappa of Chaklatti village alleged that the BMRDA had altered the alignment to accommodate the wealthy landlords and developers in the area.

A.M. Cherian, a retired Government doctor, said the BMRDA had decided on the new alignment based on an incorrect survey done by a private firm.

"While the locality in which my house is situated has been shown as an open land, there is no mention of the actual open land on the either sides of the locality," he said. Mr. Cherian has been living in Kyalasanahalli since two years.

N. Hemachandra, another resident, said this was the fifth time that the alignment of the expressway had been changed.

He said the government planners had not given any reason to opt for a new alignment, which was longer than the earlier one.

The residents and the farmers have not been told anything about the compensation and the rehabilitation package, he added.

The 21-km toll road will connect the international airport from the Outer Ring Road near Horamavu. This will be built under build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis at a cost of Rs. 400 crore.

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