Bengaluru: Bengaluru City Development Minister , K J George on Thursday defended the proposed steel bridge between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal, saying it was not a new project and had been pending since 2010. Moreover it was a part of the 120- km elevated corridor planned across the city.
While claiming the government was open to suggestions, he explained the bridge would not be a stand- alone structure as it was part of a bigger project, details of which had been loaded on the BDA’s website long before the Cabinet approved it.
The minister, who was responding to reporters’ queries on the growing opposition to the steel bridge from civic organisations, recalled that it had been conceived in 2010 during the BJP government in the state and was announced in the 2014 Budget. “We are only keeping a promise made in the Budget by going ahead with this project. Its details have been on the BDA website for a long time and anyone could have filed an objection to it. The project was approved only after taking everyone, including opposition to confidence,” he contended.
Claiming there was some misinformation on the project, he said,” Many people think the steel bridge will be constructed till the Hebbal flyover. But it will cross it and end in front of the Esteem Mall. Secondly, it is not a stand- alone structure, but is part of the 120 km elevated corridor planned across the city.” The minister said the government was also considering other proposals to improve connect.
Take public into confidence: Opposition
The proposed construction of steel flyover from Chalukya Circle to Hebbal has invited wrath from opposition parties which have demanded a public hearing before executing the works.
In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former minister and Rajajinagar BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar has opined that it was not right for any administration to brush aside common man's problems. Any government should be sensitive, accountable, responsive and transparent. But in this case all these four essential qualities of administration were conspicuously absent.
There had been no public hearing on this massive project, involving nearly Rs 1800 crore of common man's tax money. The details of the project have not been made public. Many a judgement by Supreme court have ordered that public hearing was a must in any public project involving huge money. In fact there were very easy alternate solutions to ease traffic congestion on Bellary Road, which had been studied by activists concerned. But their voice was not reaching the authorities because of the vested interests involved in building this flyover, the letter stated.
He said greens were really concerned about felling of 862 trees to pave way for the project. The Bangalore Development Authority had said that they would plant 10 trees for each tree felled, but it was a nonsensical lie. Nowhere such a promise had been fulfilled. More than that, if at all BDA plants trees as they assure, nobody knows where, the letter added.
Rs 1,800 crore was looked with suspicion by these enlightened civic activists who were in thousands in number up against the project. First of all, they feel it was huge waste, secondly, they suspect about the hidden agenda behind the huge cost. It was felt that this project was contractor and election fund oriented.
State JD (S) President H.D. Kumaraswamy too has attacked the government for taking up this project in haste, without taking stakeholders into confidence. He said this has given rise to a suspicion that the government was taking up this project to fund the party for Uttar Pradesh elections.
Protestors hold public consultations
Since the BBMP and state government have failed to organise public consultation on the mega project, involving spending of '1,800 crore, the citizens group has been organising public consultation and urged the people to call city legislators explaining them about the waste of money in building the flyover.
Most legislators have expressed their opposition for the project and some have extended their solidarity for the protest. Interestingly, most of the legislators responded and that it is a good sign of democracy.
