TDR runs into a roadblock in Hosahalli

Road-widening work on 1.86 km of Hosahalli Road, connecting Vijayanagar Pipe Line Road and Binny Mills Road, has raised a hornets’ nest. While H Ravindra, chairman of the standing committee on major works of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), is all set to begin work, M Nagaraj, leader of the opposition in the Palike, has stiffly opposed the project.

Only a few days ago, Ravindra inspected the Hosahalli Main Road. He deliberated with religious leaders representing groups whose lands and property are set to be affected, as well as the public, about the Rs19 crore road widening project. In all, 241 private properties and nine government properties were marked for demolition. The Palike had also offered to purchase Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for providing compensation. Ravindra had explained that the road would be widened to 24 metres, and religious buildings would  be spared demolition.

BBMP sources said that the Palike had already issued 185 TDR forms to owners of the properties marked for demolition; fresh TDR would be issued to the remaining houses in a few days, once the revenue department approved them. Sources also said that 28 additional properties had been identified that would need to be demolished for the road-widening work. The Palike is going into the pros and cons of bringing down these buildings as well.
However, people disgruntled with the whole road-widening project and some NGOs, joined forces to protest the move.

Shops in the area were shut. Reacting to the protest, Ravindra said that those opposing the project are unscrupulous elements with vested interests.

He added that those directly affected by the road widening work, those who stand to lose property, expressed satisfaction with the compensation.

“There will be no compromise on the road widening. We will serve notices to the owners of properties we will be acquiring,” Ravindra said.

Opposition leader M Nagaraj had earlier accused Ravindra of taking up the project in an unseemly hurry, without considering the reaction of the public, and acting in an undemocratic fashion.