Karnataka govt approves Bengaluru Business Corridor; to cut traffic by 40%

The project, which was previously known as the Peripheral Ring Road, has now been renamed as Bengaluru Business Corridor and is expected to be completed within two years

The Karnataka government has recently approved the long-pending Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project, which will help in decongesting the city's traffic, NDTV reported.

 

The project has now been approved with a new identity, the Bengaluru Business Corridor, and will be executed under the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and is expected to be completed within two years.

 

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced the development, adding that the project would be a "historic step" towards decongesting the city, which is infamous for its traffic. He further said, "Bengaluru is choking. We want the traffic to come down. I know about 1,900 families will be affected, but the government is offering more than what they are expecting as compensation. It's one of the biggest decisions of the Karnataka government."

 

40 per cent reduction in city traffic

 

The Karnataka government expects the project to cut city traffic by about 40 per cent once completed, as vehicles travelling between highways and industrial areas will be able to bypass the city centre.

 

Karnataka govt addresses land acquisition dispute

 

Addressing the ongoing land acquisition dispute, Shivakumar said that if some land owners refuse to give their land, the state government would deposit the compensation amount in the court and proceed, adding that no land will be de-notified at any cost.

 

To end the long-standing land acquisition dispute, the government has also new five-compensation package for affected farmers and landowners. This includes:

 

1. The government will give cash compensation, twice the guidance value for urban areas and three times the guidance value for rural areas within a 5-km radius of city limits, based on October 2023 rates.

 

2. It will also provide Transfer of Development Rights (TDR), equivalent to twice the guidance value, in line with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) norms.

 

3. An additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR/FSI) will be allowed on the remaining land adjoining the project stretch.

 

4. Those losing more than half an acre will receive 40 per cent of the developed land in nearby layouts.

 

5. In case of developed commercial land, those affected will get 35 per cent of the developed plots in a 35-meter-wide commercial corridor along the project route. Smaller landowners will receive cash compensation instead. 

 

Project cost drops with land trade

 

According to the report, the Bengaluru Business Corridor, which was originally estimated at Rs 27,000 crore, will now be completed in less than Rs 10,000 crore as many farmers are opting for land-based compensation as opposed to cash-based compensation.

 

Officials believe that the project will not only result in traffic reduction but will also open up large tracts of land for commercial and industrial development, strengthening the city's position as a major investment hub.

 

The announcement of the project comes days after Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw flagged concerns over the city's poor infrastructure, and a citizens group called Individual Tax Payers Forum wrote a letter to Siddaramaiah, claiming that they should not be asked to pay property tax if they cannot be provided with "good public infrastructure".