By Express News Service BENGALURU: In a move sure to bring cheer to those opposing the elevated corridor project in the city, the state government has issued a notification cancelling the tenders for the first phase of the Rs. 25,000 crore project and has called for a new detailed project report to be submitted. The controversial 87.87 km project has now come to a halt. The first phase of the project, the north-south corridor, would have come up between Ballari Road and Silk Board junction. It had been divided into three stages and was estimated to cost Rs. 6,855 crore. The project had faced severe opposition from citizen groups. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, president of the Bangalore Political Action Committee had called for it to be kept on the backburner during the Bengaluru Forward: Infrastructure and Mobility panel discussion organised by TNIE and B.PAC last Friday. Some of the concerns raised over the project include the lack of sustainability studies as well as allegations of the project approvals being given without public consultation. The project would have resulted in traffic bottlenecks and would have been a waste of public expenditure, citizen groups had alleged. In the notification, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has mentioned irregularities in the tender process and project execution plan claimed by citizens to be the reason for cancelling the tenders for the first phase of 21.54 kilometres. “KRDCL has been ordered to make a new plan with practical approximate expenditure,” the notification says. Commenting on the development, Srinivas Alavilli, member of Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB) said, “First of all I’m very thrilled that the tender is completely cancelled. We welcome this move by the state government. In March 2019, we had a huge protest demanding ‘tender raddu maadi’ and this has happened today. Just like the steel flyover project, we hope we will see the end of the elevated corridor project.” He pointed out that the re-tendering move was worrisome. “We want the CM to end this project and focus on public transport like buses, Namma Metro and suburban rail.” However, the notification is yet to reach implementing agency KRDCL. KRDCL Managing Director, BS Shivakumar said, “Officially I haven’t received any order yet. I have just got to know from other people around but haven’t been told about it by the state government till now.” PMAY tenders, dustbin tenders to be probed ? The tendering process for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), launched with the aim of providing housing at an affordable price to the weaker sections of the society will also be under the scanner. The Chief Secretary, T M Vijay Bhaskar has been directed to conduct a thorough investigation on alleged irregularities and file a report within two months. ? To overcome the garbage menace in the city, funds had been sanctioned to put up underground dustbins at 200 designated spots in FY 2016-17. The amount even included purchasing of cranes and eight trucks and maintaining them for 60 months. Based on many complaints received Yediyurappa directed the Chief Secretary to conduct a thorough investigation and file a report within two months.

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