Meeting on Metro row yields no solution

The meeting between the transport minister and the BMRCL officials over the alignment of tracks for Metro’s Reach 2 ended without any breakthrough.

After the meeting, the minister, Ramalinga Reddy, said the concern of Jayadeva hospital was valid. He added that as the realignment meant some people would lose their home, they deserved to be heard. He said he would look into the concerns of people.

People whose houses will be acquired if the BMRCL chooses to realign the tracks to spare Jayadeva hospital continue to be optimistic. As per the current alignment, Jayadeva hospital will lose a considerable portion of its parking lot.

One of the residents who will lose their property if the tracks are realigned said they would continue to push for what they consider the solution is—going underground. He said the residents are looking to build a larger platform to strengthen their voice. He said many people, from ITPL, Kanakapura Road and Jayanagar V Block, have reached out to them and expressed their disapproval of elevated tracks, as they ruin the beauty of the city and necessitate felling of trees.

If the residents’ pleas to the BMRCL and the state government fail to yield the result they desire, they are planning to take up the matter with the Planning Commission of India and Public Investment Board, Delhi.

One of the residents said they would highlight that the BMRCL has underestimated the cost of the project, besides pointing out that going underground is a feasible solution, given hurdles such as land acquisition for elevated tracks.