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Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Bengaluru Metro to get 9, not 45, acres for Hebbal transport hub
Bengaluru: Buckling under pressure from political and real-estate lobbies, the govt Monday reduced BMRCL's land requirement for the Namma Metro rail project at Hebbal, in north Bengaluru, from 45 to 9 acres. With this, all future infrastructure facilities such as depot for Metro trains and even multi-level parking systems for train users stand nixed. Instead, what will come up at the important transport hub will be high-rise commercial buildings, upscale residential facilities, and star hotels to be constructed by private players. At the high-power committee meeting chaired by chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh in the city, BMRCL said it had scaled down its land requirement. Interestingly, it was BMRCL which had earlier sought 45 acres in Hebbal from Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for establishing a comprehensive transport hub. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru While BMRCL did a U-turn and settled for nine acres, the high-power committee barely saw any need for discussions on the possible impact of giving away prime land to realtors. The committee cleared the revised proposal and directed BMRCL to approach KIADB for the transfer of nine acres. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo "At a time when future-thinking cities are saving land for public use, a section of politicians, bureaucrats and realtors in the already traffic-choked tech capital is doing the opposite. Just imagine this scenario in the next two years when the Metro line to airport becomes operational: You will not have place to park your car at Hebbal station even if you want to take a train from there. At the receiving end will be ordinary commuters," a senior IAS officer said, terming the govt's move a retrograde step. Former minister and Rajajinagar MLA Suresh Kumar, the only senior political functionary who has been opposing handing over land to real-estate players, said the long-term interests of the city are being compromised. A year ago, BMRCL had requested for 45 acres from the govt to build an integrated transport hub to seamlessly connect various modes of public transport. To secure the land, which was acquired by KIADB over two decades ago for a tourism project that never materialised, BMRCL had even offered over Rs 500 crore as compensation. Following BMRCL's initial proposal, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and industries minister MB Patil had publicly said the land would be allocated to support the city's growing transit needs. However, in a surprising turn, BMRCL chose to drastically reduce its land request. This reduction has alarmed urban planners and mobility experts, who warn that shrinking the land footprint could severely limit the project's capacity to support multi-modal integration, parking and to provide other commuter amenities. When contacted about the decision to scale down the request, BMRCL managing director Maheshwar Rao declined to comment.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Education minister hosts young Afghan guests for breakfast, leaves all feeling fulfilled
'We have students from other states and countries in Kerala, which could be one of the reasons why the state holds the second position in education,' the minister said, referring to the National Achievement Survey, where the state is ranked below Punjab by a point on the indicator. 'It was lovely to hear them speak Malayalam,' said the school's management committee chairman Suresh Kumar. The children, who are well-versed in English and Hindi as well, fare well in academics and extracurricular activities. The kids' class teachers and school PTA president Gopakumar R also joined them for the visit. Shafiq and his wife Zarghona plan to enrol their youngest children, Maher, 5, and Mehnaz, 3, in the pre-primary section in the coming days. Their eldest son was unable to make it due to health issues. 'This is a land of no complaints,' Shafiq said when asked about his family's equation with Kerala. But with Shafiq's research studies getting over this year, the family may return to their homeland. 'Leaving Kerala might not be something they are looking forward to,' said Suresh, mentioning the friendships that the siblings have built up here. Truly, home is where the heart is!
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
MLA opposes cut in Hebbal Metro hub land allocation in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Rajajinagar MLA and former minister Suresh Kumar has urged the govt not to reduce the land allocated for the proposed multi-modal transport hub at Hebbal to 9 acres from 45 acres. In a letter to the govt, Kumar warned against altering the project to accommodate real estate and political interests. Kumar said any reduction would lead to the scrapping of critical citizen-friendly features such as parking space, and interlinking of three Metro lines, including the airport line. He alleged that the govt is quietly moving to approve the nine-acre plan. "If the govt forces BMRCL to compromise, I will educate civic groups and launch a campaign against this decision," he said. He urged chief minister Siddaramaiah, DCM DK Shivakumar, and industries minister MB Patil to reject any attempts by real estate lobbies to influence the project. Kumar also demanded compensation for the original landowners, who have waited over 20 years for settlement after their land was acquired. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru A stakeholders' meeting on land transfer for the Hebbal Metro hub is expected Monday. Over a year ago, BMRCL sought 45 acres for the project and agreed to pay more than Rs 500 crore to KIADB, which holds the land. The land was initially acquired for a tourism project two decades ago but has remained unused. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Despite assurances from Shivakumar and Patil that Metro's interests would be protected, BMRCL recently decided to scale back the land requirement to 9 acres. The move has drawn criticism from civic groups and transport planners, who argue that prioritising real estate development over robust public transport infrastructure will harm the city's long-term mobility needs.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
AP govt. announces pension restoration for landless poor in Amaravati
The state government has announced the restoration of pensions for the landless poor in Amaravati, with orders issued to provide financial support to 1,575 families residing in the capital's villages. Previously, the YSRCP government had cancelled these pensions; however, their reinstatement was approved in a recent cabinet meeting. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Municipal Administration Department, has confirmed that pensions will be granted to families who lost their livelihoods during the capital's construction. The eligible families were identified in a comprehensive house-to-house survey conducted in 2015. In a separate initiative, the government has allocated funds for the completion of pending construction work on residences for public representatives and officials in Nelapadu. Administrative permissions have been granted, with a budget of Rs. 524.70 crore approved for the ongoing construction of 432 apartment units across 18 towers.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh Government issues revised guidelines for building permissions under self-certification scheme
In a significant step towards streamlining and accelerating construction activity, the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) on Sunday (July 13, 2025) released Revised Guidelines for Building Permissions under Self-Certification Scheme (SCS) – 2025. The SCS is aimed at 'revolutionising building permissions' for enhanced Ease and Speed of Doing Business, and boosting the real estate sector, Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration & Urban Development) S. Suresh Kumar stated in G.O. Ms No.120. He mentioned that the core objectives of the SCS 2025 include making the building environment safe, inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and contributing to economic development by enhancing the Ease of Doing Business and cultivating an investment-friendly environment. SCS 2025 facilitates a reduction of compliance burden and deregulation in alignment with efforts being made to avail incentives under the Central Government's Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) 2025-26. The revised guidelines would be integrated as Chapter–XIV with the existing Andhra Pradesh Building Rules of 2017. A fundamental aspect of the SCS is the proactive delegation of enforcement power and responsibilities (with regard to the building permissions) directly to Licensed Technical Persons (LTPs) and citizens on a trust basis. The Online Building Permission System (OBPS) envisioned in the SCS is equipped to scrutinize applications and issue building permission proceedings instantaneously on payment of necessary fees and charges on a trust basis. Mr. Suresh Kumar stated that the applicants would be free to begin constructions immediately upon obtaining permissions through OBPS. Another highlight of the SCS is that supervisory checks of self-certified buildings by Town Planning functionaries is being dispensed with. All building plan applications along with essential documents, fees, and mortgage details, have to be submitted through the OBPS by an LTP. A self-certification proforma has to be signed by both the applicant and the LTP, affirming the authenticity and accuracy of all submitted information and documents. The G.O. says that in the initial phase, the SCS will be applicable to non-high rise residential building plan permissions for plot areas of up to 4,000 square metres, including plots in approved layouts, layouts regularised under the Land Regularisation Schemes of 2008 and 2020, village sites and 'gramakantam', areas with approved circulation patterns, and redevelopment of existing buildings with prior approved plans or the ones existing before 1985. The scheme also covers the establishment of white category industries defined by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board provided the site area is up to 500 square metres. The revised guidelines under SCS are applicable to all Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats within the jurisdiction of Urban Development Authorities including APCRDA (excluding the capital city area) for sites measuring 300 square metres or above. The building owners have to bear the sole responsibility for adhering to the approved building plan throughout the construction process while the LTPs are mandated to ensure that no misrepresentation of documents or facts occurs and that all plans comply with the master plan and zoning regulations concerned and the Andhra Pradesh Building Rules, 2017.
