Bengaluru: A coalition of citizen groups, opposing the controversial elevated corridor, has requested Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to uphold his promise and to share with the public the elevated corridor project assessment data, scientific reports etc before taking any further action on the project. The group warned that the corridor has violated several laws and it cannot be pushed down people’s throat.
Citizens groups opposing the project had organised a protest, 'Tender Raddu Maadi', on March 16. Mr Kumaraswamy, noticing the swelling protest, had called for a meeting of protesting groups at his office and had assured them that citizens will be consulted before starting the project. Citizen groups had stopped their protest after this assurance from the chief minister. But they are worried that the government is quietly progressing with the corridor works.
At a press conference, representatives of citizen groups, like Citizens for Bengaluru, Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, Whitefield Rising, Bengaluru Environment Trust, Praja-Raag and others, warned that they may have to resume their protest if the project is not dropped.
They reminded the government that the project is in blatant violation of the law mandating public involvement in decision making, which has been made binding by the Karnataka High Court.
