CM Seeks Defence Ministry Nod for Key Bengaluru Urban Projects
Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar meets Rajnath Singh to expedite land clearances for Bengaluru's major road, park, and tunnel projects.
In a significant move to boost the infrastructure of India's tech capital, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar met with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Monday. During the high-level meeting, the Chief Minister sought urgent intervention from the Ministry of Defence to resolve several long-standing land issues and clearance hurdles that are currently stalling major urban development projects in Bengaluru.
While acknowledging the cooperation provided by the Ministry to the Greater Bengaluru Authority and various city corporations, Shivakumar highlighted seven critical pending issues that require immediate attention to ensure the city's systematic growth and improved connectivity.
A Green Lung for the City
One of the most ambitious proposals involves the transformation of approximately 730 acres of Defence land situated near the Iblur Firing Range. The State Government has proposed turning this massive tract into a permanent public park. Crucially, the proposal suggests that the land be used exclusively for public recreation without any commercial development, while the ownership would remain strictly with the Defence authorities.
Slum Rehabilitation and Safety Concerns
The Chief Minister also addressed the plight of residents living in notified slums located on roughly 43.838 acres of Defence land. Due to the immense difficulty in finding equivalent land within the city limits, the State has suggested a land-swap model, offering government-owned land of equal area at an alternative location. Furthermore, the CM requested urgent permission to repair and redevelop these areas, noting that recent monsoon rains have led to severe flooding in these settlements.
Addressing aviation-related constraints, the State is seeking a review of building height restrictions. Currently, strict limits exist within a 20-km radius of HAL Airport and the Air Force Station in Yelahanka. The government has proposed limiting the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) requirement to a 15-km radius, aiming to balance flight safety with the city's vertical development needs.
Major Road and Tunnel Infrastructure
To ease the suffocating traffic on the Inner and Outer Ring Roads, several transport-related requests were tabled:
- The Agaram-Sarjapur Link: Permission for a 24-metre wide road connecting Lower Agaram Road to Sarjapur Road via Ejipura Junction. This project, which follows the Bellandur Lake route, has already been tendered and awarded.
- Vehicular Twin Tunnel Project: The State is seeking 2.039 acres of Defence land for a ramp near Hebbal and permission for the tunnel to pass through Defence areas near Mekhri Circle without disturbing the surface.
- License Fee Dispute: The State has raised an objection to a proposed license fee of 33% of the land cost (approximately ₹60.72 crore) for the tunnel project, requesting a reduction to just 2%.
- Airport Road Connectivity: A request for 6.837 acres of land to create an 18-metre-wide link road from Bellary Road to Sarovara Layout.
- Mekhri Circle Widening: The Greater Bengaluru Authority is seeking 0.775 acres from DGQA and PRTC to widen the existing two-lane road to three lanes to ease congestion on the route to the airport.
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar emphasized that the swift resolution of these seven proposals is vital for the future of Bengaluru's urban infrastructure and its ability to sustain rapid expansion.