The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has quietly withdrawn a feasibility report titled ‘Complete Bangalore Metropolis Visitors Administration Infrastructure Plan’. The choice has led many to conclude that the controversial tunnel highway mission, together with different main highway infrastructure proposals, has been deserted.
In response to a word from BBMP, accessed by The Indian Categorical, the civic physique introduced the withdrawal of draft reviews and thanked stakeholders for his or her suggestions.
The word states: “…Draft reviews could also be withdrawn. We thank all stakeholders and residents of Bengaluru for his or her opinions and suggestions on the Draft Remaining Reviews… We extremely admire your inputs and have instructed the consultants answerable for getting ready the Feasibility Report and the draft DPR to include the adjustments in keeping with the feedback acquired.”
The ultimate feasibility report, ready by Turkey-based Altinok Consulting at a price of Rs 4.7 crore, was printed on BBMP’s web site on December 20, 2024. It proposed a 170-km community of tunnels, double-decker tunnels, elevated corridors, and underpasses to ease Bengaluru’s site visitors congestion. Nevertheless, the report confronted widespread criticism for its “unscientific method” and perceived violation of sustainable transportation ideas. On January 10, 2025, BBMP withdrew the report. Critics additionally identified that, regardless of this withdrawal, BBMP invited bids for a Detailed Venture Report (DPR) for the East-West (KR Puram to Nayandahalli) tunnel highway mission on January 25, elevating questions concerning the company’s intentions.
B S Prahalad, Engineer-in-Chief, BBMP, clarified to The Indian Categorical: “What was withdrawn is the draft feasibility report, not the ultimate one. The word refers back to the withdrawal of the draft report, which was made public earlier than the ultimate model was printed on December 20, 2024. Primarily based on public suggestions, we launched the ultimate feasibility report and floated tenders for DPR preparation for the elevated corridors and East-West tunnel highway mission.”
He added that an professional committee, chaired by Hega Reddy, Government Director, Bangalore Metro Rail Company Restricted (BMRCL), is being fashioned to overview the DPR for the North-South (Hebbal to Silkboard) tunnel highway mission earlier than finalisation.
Civic teams and concrete mobility specialists, nonetheless, argued that BBMP has uncovered its blunders as soon as once more by referring to the ultimate feasibility report as a “draft”.
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Satya Arikutharam, an city mobility professional, remarked: “The word thanks stakeholders, withdraws draft reviews, and says consultants will incorporate suggestions. Logically, this implies the tunnel highway proposal is dropped, as residents favour public transport. The reference to the ‘draft’ report appears misguided, given the ultimate report was printed in December 2024. I count on the consultants to affirm that public transport outperforms these proposals, as indicated in their very own draft.”
“The actual rip-off isn’t the Rs 1 lakh crore funds for unfeasible tasks, however pre-project works the place doubtful consultants earn Rs 10-50 crore per announcement through research and reviews, fleecing Rs 500-1,000 crore throughout 10 tasks. Whereas residents protest, crafty of us milk the exchequer. This racket, evident for the reason that Metal Flyover, wants shut investigation,” mentioned Sandeep Anirudhan, Convenor of Residents’ Agenda for Bengaluru.
Bangalore Central MP P C Mohan mentioned on X, “BBMP claims it’ll replicate public feedback on tunnel roads. Bengaluru’s residents have known as for the mission to be dropped. If BBMP is severe about listening, it ought to cancel it. Who’s accountable for the ₹14.2 crore already spent on the DPR?”
BBMP has confronted backlash from residents for an alleged ‘copy-paste’ job for getting ready DPR for the north-south tunnel mission connecting Hebbal and Silkboard junction. The DPR ready at a price of Rs 9.5 crore contained ‘compiling errors’ that resulted within the civic company slapping a penalty of Rs 5 lakh in opposition to Rodic Consultants, the agency that ready the DPR.