BENGALURU: After an uproar by citizens, the BBMP has temporarily stopped the construction of an integrated skywalk across MG Road, and the Palike top brass has issued directions to lower-rung officials to stop the work immediately for the project, whose foundation has already been laid.
The skywalk at the prime spot was mooted to serve the interest of thriving advertisement mafia in the city, said a top BBMP official.
Civic body's only defence is that it will not spend a single paisa on the project it would have been taken up on DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer) basis and it could have mopped up over Rs 20 lakh in advertising revenue annually.
But after the uproar, Bengaluru Development Minister K.J .George has reportedly directed officials to stop the project and sought details of the project for a review.
Mr Srinivas Alavilli, coordinator, Citizens for Bengaluru, said, “All of us must oppose the skywalk on MG Road as pedestrians too have a right to the street at grade level."
He said, “Why should we skywalk, when we just want to walk? Make arrangements, like a walk button and signal for crossing, and we promise that we will let cars also use the road when their turn comes! Skywalks are a spectacular failure – most of them are now ugly frames for illegal political banners! The BBMP should get the message and use the money for footpaths and walk signals.”
Citizen activists and heritage conservationists have geared up to file a PIL before the Karnataka High Court on Monday to get the project scrapped.
Repeated calls to Mayor Sampath Raj and Commissioner Manjunath Prasad went unanswered.
