“Ask the government to shift the Karnataka high court to Gulbarga and Vidhana Soudha to Dharwad. Then there will be less congestion in Bangalore,” justice Shylendra Kumar told the government advocate.
The ongoing Namma Metro work across the city appears to have got on the nerves of the judiciary as well. Hearing a petition challenging a land acquisition by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited for the project, justice DV Shylendra Kumar on Thursday echoed the exasperation of Bangaloreans over the unending civil work.
“Ask the government to shift the Karnataka high court to Gulbarga and Vidhana Soudha to Dharwad. Then there will be less congestion in Bangalore,” justice Shylendra Kumar told the government advocate.
He took the BMRCL to task for the traffic congestion being caused in the different parts of the city by the ongoing project work.
The judge also referred to the BMRCL’s negligence towards the court. He said the BMRCL had failed to file objections in time in spite of several directions from the court. “The Metro officials were blissfully silent. They never reply to the notices sent by the court,” he said.
Justice Shylendra Kumar was hearing a petition relating to a land acquisition for the Metro stretch between Deepanjali Nagar and West of Chord Road.
Petitioner P Jayashankar has challenged the KIADB’s acquisition of his 17sq meters of land at Deepanjali Nagar near West of Chord Road. The project was cutting through his property.
The court summoned advocate-general Ashok Haranahalli to be present in the court on Monday and directed the state government to file objections.
This is not the first time that the Metro work has drawn the wrath of the high court judges.
On July 15 last, justice Ram Mohan Reddy had come down on BMRCL while hearing another land acquisition case.
“I haven’t slept since the Metro works commenced on Vani Vilas Road near Basavanagudi where my house is situated. Even my neighbours are facing the same problem,” justice Reddy had said.
“You (Metro officials and workers) can knock on my house door at any time at night; I will open the door, because I haven’t slept at night after the commencement of metro works at Vanivilas Road. The Metro people are doing construction works at night for the last three years,” he said and added: “Who is the engineer who designed the Metro project in Bangalore? I want to see his marks card. Technology is very advanced in European countries to carry out such kind of project.”
“But we have adopted an old technology and plans prepared by old engineers. Why can’t you hire new engineers for the project?” Justice Reddy questioned while turning down the BMRCL’s plea.
The first phase of the Metro is expected to be completed by December 2010. Once completed, the Metro will have 40 stations across the city. The first lot of coaches are expected to arrive on Sunday.
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