The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Metro set to get NGEF land

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Thursday, Jul 03, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Metro set to get NGEF land

B.S. Ramesh

KSRTC, BMTC want part of it

BANGALORE: Bangalore Metro is all set to acquire 53 acres of land belonging to New Government Electric Factory (NGEF) on Old Madras Road. This follows the decision of the State Government to draw up proceedings for acquiring the land.

The State had directed the Deputy Commissioner of Bangalore to notify the acquisition of land.

Sources told The Hindu on Saturday that apart from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC), two other State undertakings — Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) — want the NGEF land for setting up an integrated transport hub.

The decision to acquire land was taken after the company court (High Court) permitted the State to acquire lands.

The matter was before the company court as NGEF was under liquidation and all the movable and immovable assets of the company were under the care of the official liquidator appointed by the company court.

The State planned the transport hub at NGEF land to take care of the burgeoning traffic from Bangalore East. Sources said apart from this hub, the Byappanahalli Metro Station was being designed and projected as a terminal station situated between Old Madras Road and Byappanahalli Railway Station.

Bangalore Metro planned to have direct pedestrian connectivity between the metro station and the railway station and from Old Madras Road.

The traffic integration area, where BMTC and KSRTC buses would be available was situated across the railway tracks.

The Byappanahalli station was likely to have a host of facilities, including easy access points for the disabled.

Sources said once the NGEF land was handed over to BMRC and the other two corporations, the pace of work would pick up.

Smooth transfer

The sources foresaw no problem in notifying the lands as the land belonged to NGEF, a government-owned company that ran into losses before it was referred to the company court for liquidation proceedings. They said the High Court had posted for final hearing on July 2 several cases relating to acquisition of properties on Mahatma Gandhi Road, South End, Binnamangala, Mysore Road and Old Madras Road.

They hoped that the stay granted against acquisition of land in these areas would be vacated so that Bangalore Metro could move ahead with the project.

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