Bengaluru Business Corridor project: Tenders for Tumakuru-Ballari road stretch to be issued in March

The Bengaluru Business Corridor Ltd. (BBC Ltd), incorporated to spearhead the Bengaluru Business Corridor project (formerly the Peripheral Ring Road) under the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), has decided to split the project into multiple packages and issue tenders for stretches as and when they achieve 80% of land acquisition targets.

As land acquisition for the project on the Tumakuru Road – Ballari Road stretch gains pace, preparations are under way to issue tenders for this 23 km stretch in March. 

This road will begin from Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Madavara, and cut across Ballari Road next to Collins Aerospace Park at Venkatala, where a metro station is coming up on the new airport metro line.  An official said that even though it is piecemeal, this road will help ease traffic on the International Airport Road and Tumakuru Road, particularly Hebbal junction, by connecting Tumakuru Road and Ballari Road through a new road. This road will also be tolled. 

“We will tender package-wise. The first package will be tendered, and work will be awarded when we have 80% of the land,” confirmed L. K. Atheeq, chairman, BBC Ltd. 

50% land acquired

Of the 576 acres and 38 guntas of land required for this 23 km stretch, till date BDA has taken possession of 308 acres of land on the Tumakuru Road – Ballari Road stretch, including some government-owned lands, achieving an over 50% of the target.

BDA had, in 2007, passed awards for 943 acres of land, but not paid the cash compensation. Most of those awards were on this stretch. As these awards have now become outdated, the State cabinet recently approved providing the compensation package being offered to other farmers as ex gratia, over and above the award. Moreover, the compensation package being offered on this stretch is the highest for any lands being acquired for the project. The compensation is a function of the guidance value, sources said. The highest compensation is being awarded to Venkatala along Ballari Road at a whopping ₹15.6 crore per acre. This has attracted land losers on this stretch to willingly give up their lands, sources said.