Metro Rail: HC issues notices to K'taka Govt

Bangalore, Nov 30 (UNI) The Karnataka High Court today issued emergency notices to the State Government and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd on a writ petition, seeking for a direction to appoint an expert committee to go into the economic, environmental and social aspects of the alignment of Metro on CMH Road and 100 feet road, Indiranagar, here.

Mr Justice Mohanshantangoudar issued the notices and posted the matter to December seven for further hearing.

The petitioner, CMH Shops and Establishment and Residents Association, prayed for declaring as illegal the State Government's communication to the Managing Director of the Metro Rail Corporation on November 15 that there was no need to consider any change in alignment in any area and permitting the BMRC to proceed with implementation of the project.

The State Government had, by its order dated November seven, 2005, constituted a committee to study the alignment proposed along CMH Road as also an alternative alignment via Adarsh theatre. The committee filed its report on April 20 last, recommending CMH road and 100 feet road alignment when the findings clearly indicated that the metro on CMH road was not suitable, the Association submitted.

The petitioner contended that the number of shops that would be affected on OMR was nil, while those on CMH were 901, number of hotels that would be affected on OMR were 3 and 43 on CMH, number of banks on OMR was only one and 27 on CMH. Besides, the market value of property on CMH road was more than that on the OMR, thereby costing an additional Rs 1,000 crore for the State exchequer.

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