Keep public in the loop on projects, says Karnataka high court

The Karnataka high court on Tuesday directed the state government to involve the public in the formulation of any scheme, such as the Namma Metro project in future.

A petition, filed by environment support group, an NGO and others had challenged that rules have to be followed under the Town and Country Planning Act in the construction of the proposed Metro stations in Lalbagh, RV Road and Laxman Rao Park.

The petitioners contended that in the master plan prepared by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), the stations were not depicted specifically. They said that while implementing the metro project, public participation as envisaged under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act was not enforced.

A division bench headed by chief justice JS Khehar and justice AS Bopanna directed the BDA and the state government that in the event of any change from the existing revised master plan, the said procedures under Section 14A of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1961 have to be followed. For implementation of any scheme under the revised master plan, a prescribed procedure for framing the same under Chapter 5 of the Karnataka Town and Planning Act has to be followed, the bench added.

The bench also observed that the concerned officers shall be held seriously responsible, in case they do not follow the directions as stipulated by the high court.

The bench gave the direction specifically in reference to the future projects by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), but by implication, the principle of the direction would be applicable to all the other developmental projects.