The 45-acre land parcel in Hebbal.
Credit: DH PHOTO/BK JANARDHAN
Bengaluru: Namma Metro is under severe pressure to relocate a stabling depot it has proposed to build on a 45-acre prime land parcel in Hebbal.
The depot will service at least three metro lines — Blue (Phase 2B), Orange (3) and Red (3A).
If the land, currently owned by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), doesn't come by, metro authorities will likely face challenges because the area around Hebbal does not have any other large vacant land that is ideal for the establishment of depot and multi-modal traffic integration.
The state government's unwillingness to part with the land is evident as Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is yet to receive a response despite writing a letter to the Commerce and Industries Department about eight months ago.
Following the request, a high-powered committee consisting of senior bureaucrats convened a meeting in July this year, but there is no clarity on the transfer of land even though the BMRCL has offered to pay Rs 551.15 crore.
Multiple sources confirmed to DH that there was no communication regarding the handover of the property to Namma Metro, which has already started acquiring land for Phase 3 (JP Nagar 4th Phase to Kempapura), while the Phase 3A (Hebbal to Sarjapur) project awaits the state government's nod.
Although the KIADB had notified a total of 55 acres and 13 guntas of land for private company Lake View Tourism Corporation in May 2004, the land acquisition process remained incomplete as the private entity defaulted on payment of compensation after making the initial deposit of Rs 10 crore. Presently, the land is vested with the state government while land losers still await compensation.
Last month, Industries Minister MB Patil told DH that the 45-acre land was technically with the KIADB, but was acquired for a company under the Single Unit Complex (SUC) scheme.
"The KIADB did not acquire the land for setting up an industrial park, but on behalf of the company. We cannot hand over the land to the metro directly because that would amount to breach of agreement. Hence, we have advised the metro officials to talk to the private entity and pay it as per the market rates,” he had said.
Sources, however, insisted that the private company had no right to stake claim over the 45-acre land parcel because the land acquisition process was still incomplete.
Documents also show that the BMRCL earlier acquired 6,712.97 sqm of KIADB land for the construction of the metro station and viaduct for the airport line (Phase 2B) by paying a compensation of Rs 12.10 crore per acre.
The then BS Yeddyurappa government had advised Namma Metro not to issue a fresh land acquisition notification for the Hebbal land in May 2020, but directed the KIADB to directly transfer the land to the metro.