Deputy Chief Minister stresses legal caution, financial hurdles, and corruption clean-up while addressing Bengaluru’s long-pending Peripheral Ring Road and layout issues.
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has drawn a firm line on the much-delayed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project, asserting that land denotification is off the table. Responding to BJP MLC H S Gopinath, Shivakumar declared that he would not “risk legal trouble” by rolling back land earmarked for the project nearly two decades ago.
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Pointing to the financial strain, the DCM admitted the state cannot afford the staggering Rs 27,000 crore needed for the PRR. He invited innovative suggestions to reduce the burden, even as nearly 5,000 homes stand on land marked for the ambitious corridor. “We must decide the future course without burdening the state or its people,” he told the Legislative Council.
Shivakumar also revealed that the government is bleeding revenue due to stalled layouts. He said the Shivaram Karanth Layout alone has locked up over Rs 7,000 crore in investments, with the Supreme Court’s status quo order costing the state nearly Rs 1,000 crore annually. Farmers who gave up land 15 years ago remain uncompensated, and the government is pressing the courts for a resolution.
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The Deputy CM further turned the spotlight on corruption. In response to allegations of irregularities in the Kempegowda Layout land acquisition, Shivakumar assured that any official proven guilty of accepting bribes would be dismissed immediately. “Provide me names and evidence, and I’ll act before the day ends,” he declared.
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