Metro to put Soudha off track, temporarily

Bengaluru, May 22: The Metro Rail project is set to affect the Vidhan Soudha. Three statues of Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Subhash Chandra Bose which are now on the lawns, will be moved further towards the Soudha to enable the BMRCL dig a tunnel for the Metro. This was decided at the state Cabinet meeting here on Friday.

“The relocation is a temporary measure till the tunnel is dug. Experts feel the statues could suffer damage during the digging of the tunnel using heavy equipment. So we decided to relocate the statues as a precautionary measure,” rural development and panchayat raj minister Shobha Karandlaje told reporters.

The Cabinet also decided to allot 1,500 acres of land to Indian Institute of Science at Khudapur village in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district for advanced research activity. Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa had announced this at the valedictory function of the centenary celebrations of IISc when President Pratibha Patil was present.

The Cabinet decided the toll for roads which are proposed to be developed under the PPP model. Light motor vehicles will have to pay 65 paise per km on a four-lane road while it is 50 paise per km on a two-lane road.

“For light commercial vehicles, the toll will be Rs 1.05 for a four-lane and 75 paise for a two-lane road. Buses and trucks will have to pay Rs 2.20 per km on a four-lane road and Rs 1.50 on a two-lane road where as heavy earth moving equipment the toll is Rs 3.45 on four lane and Rs 2.75 on two lane,” she added. In all, about 15,000 kms of roads that connect district headquarters with hobli centres will be developed to the standards of national highways.