Karnataka HC wants to know whether metro will shift track

The Karnataka high court on Tuesday sought to know from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on whether the Namma Metro route could pass through the Basavanagudi flyover at the Vani Vilas Road curve, instead of the current proposal which calls acquiring a piece of heritage property.

Justice Ram Mohan Reddy directed the BMRCL counsel to seek instructions from the BMRCL in this regard while hearing a petition filed by Malini Sri Ram challenging the move to acquire her property to make way for the Namma Metro on the Vani Vilas Road curve.

The land acquisition has been stayed until further orders.

Justice Reddy adjourned the matter to July 19 when the BMRCL counsel has been told to submit his response to the court’s route change proposal.

Malini Sri Ram contended that BMRCL had proposed to acquire 1,215 square metres of her property at the Vani Vilas Road curve.
She pointed out that the entire property was a heritage residence and went by the name of Veda Vilas. The petitioner said that the acquisition would rob her of all her property.

The petitioner also contended that Namma Metro could have taken the straight KR Road route instead of the proposed digression at Vani Vilas Road curve.  

The preliminary notification regarding acquiring the property was issued to the petitioner in 2006.

The final notification was issued two years later.

The petitioner also submitted that there was disparity in the allocation of compensation as her neighbour had received Rs48,800 per square metre as compensation, while she had received a compensation of just Rs8,000 per square metre.