The State government on Monday cleared the long-pending 65-km Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), aimed at enabling seamless movement of vehicles without entering the city.
The existing NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises) road links Tumakuru Road-Magadi-Mysuru Road-Hosur Road. The proposed PRR will cover the other half of the city, that is Hosur Road-Old Madras Road-Tumakuru Road. This will complete the Ring Road connectivity to the city.
Briefing presspersons on the Cabinet decisions taken at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Krishna Byre Gowda said the estimated cost of PRR is about ₹17,000 crore. The road’s width is 75 metres. Revenue will be generated in the form of toll from road users, he said.
Acquisition of 1,910 acres alone will cost ₹4,500 crore. The JD(S)-BJP government proposed the PRR 12 years ago. It is likely to be implemented on a PPP Model. The project has escalated from ₹3,800 crore to ₹17,000 crore during the last 12 years, he said.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency and the National Highways Authority of India have not come forward to bear the land acquisition cost. Teething problems in land acquisition was one of the reasons for the delay in clearing the project. The notification for land acquisition was notified in 2005-06, Mr. Gowda said.
The government will bear the land acquisition cost. Farmers’ will get compensation as per the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, he said.
Housing for poor
To provide housing for the poor in the city, the government has decided to construct the Chief Minister’s Housing Complex with 15 floor apartments, including ground floor. Earlier, it was four floors, including ground. The single and double-bedroom flats will be provided to the poor at subsidised prices. They have to pay around ₹2 lakh to ₹3 lakh per flat depending on the floor area, Mr. Gowda said.
Drinking water
The Cabinet also decided to release ₹285.95 crore for supplying drinking water from Tippegondanahalli to Bengaluru.