High Court rules that decisions on metro station locations are policy matters for state authorities, not the judiciary, while asking BMRCL to review citizens’ plea.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a metro station at Chikkajala on the under-construction Blue Line of Namma Metro. The bench, led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi, ruled that the location and number of metro stations fall under state policy decisions, beyond the scope of judicial review under Article 226 of the Constitution.
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“The manner in which metro stations are planned or where stops are located is entirely for the authorities to decide,” the bench observed, underlining that the judiciary cannot step into executive planning matters.
The PIL, filed by resident C R Naveen Kumar and six others, argued that Chikkajala had originally been included in Phase 2B of the Blue Line project connecting K R Puram to Kempegowda International Airport, but was later dropped without justification. The petitioners sought not only the construction of the station but also a halt on the corridor’s progress beyond Chikkajala until their demand was met.
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While the court dismissed these pleas, it directed Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to formally respond to a written request made by residents in 2022. Interestingly, the ruling mirrors a similar case in July, when the HC rejected a plea for a station at Bettahalsuru, just a few kilometres away on the same line.
For now, the ball is back in BMRCL’s court, with citizens still hopeful their request might be reconsidered during future expansions or reviews.
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