70-km roads to be built along SWDs in Bengaluru's RR Nagar
During an on-site inspection, he said land acquisition, if necessary, should be done through the Transferable Development Rights (TDR). He also inspected the adjoining crossroads near Kodi Road in Hosakerehalli and instructed that repair works be undertaken to ensure smooth vehicular movement.
BS Prahallad, Technical Director of Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE), said, 'To reduce traffic congestion in the city, an ambitious project has been initiated to develop 300 km of roads along the SWD buffer zones under the 'Sanchara Yukta' programme. Of this, 70 km of roads are planned within RR Nagar zone. Developing roads in the buffer zone will improve connectivity to several areas.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
3 hours ago
- India.com
Bengaluru's ambitious Hebbal-Silk Board underground tunnel attracts biggest names like Adani and Tata; estimated cost..., last date to submit...
(Representational image: New Delhi: Bengaluru, the capital of the southern state Karnataka and called Asia's Silicon Valley, has been in the news for various reasons, ranging from water shortage to bad roads that do not befit a world-class metropolitan city. Nevertheless, the development work is going on there, and this time it is related to Bengaluru's ambitious Hebbal–Silk Board underground tunnel. What is the Hebbal–Silk Board underground tunnel project? The proposed 16.75-km tunnel road that will connect the Central Silk Board to Hebbal has attracted 10 of India's top construction firms. These include the Adani Group, L&T Ltd, and Tata Projects. The representatives of these firms attended a pre-bid meeting held at the headquarters of Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE) in Vasanthnagar on Monday, 4 August. What is the role of B-SMILE? B-SMILE is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) created by the Karnataka government to fast-track major infrastructure projects in Bengaluru. It had invited tenders to design and construct the three-lane underground twin tunnel road about three weeks ago. How many companies have responded to the tender? As mentioned, India's top 10 construction firms sent their representatives to the pre-bid meeting held at the headquarters of B-SMILE. These companies include the Adani Group, L&T Ltd, Tata Projects, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd, ITD Cementation India, Vishwa Samudra Engineering Ltd, Jayashankar, Ceigall India Ltd, Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, and IRB Infrastructure sent their representatives to the meeting as well. What are the terms and conditions? This is being counted as among the first few steps, and it remains to be seen how many players will remain in the fray for the project, which is being taken up under the modified build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model. According to the BOOT model, the construction companies are expected to invest 60% of the project cost (Rs 10,619 crore), besides depositing Rs 44 crore at the time of submitting the bids. In return, the government will provide toll collection rights for 30 years. What are the main details of the tunnel project and tenders? The estimated cost of the project is Rs 17,698 crore and has been divided into two packages: Hebbal Junction to Seshadri Road Race Course Junction (8.74 km) and Seshadri Road to Silk Board (8.01 km). The last date to submit bids is September 2. Technical Director at B-SMILE BS Prahallad, while expressing satisfaction over the response, said, 'Top construction companies have sent their representatives. Some have requested us to extend the last date for bid submission given the complexity of the project. They also raised queries about land allocation for debris disposal and the casting yard. We are confident that many will participate in the final bidding.' The crux of the project According to the source privy to the meeting, bidders sought more time, specifically to undertake geotechnical investigations along the proposed corridor. Under the plan, construction companies are required to deploy a total of eight Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), each capable of drilling around 2 km per year. The three-lane underground twin tunnel road, which will have a total tunnelling length of 33.49 km, has already come under environmental, feasibility and technical scrutiny from different stakeholders.
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Despite a 48-hour promise, e-khata issues drag Bengaluru homebuyers back to local municipality offices
Despite the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) promise to issue e-khatas within 48 hours, many Bengaluru property owners say they continue to face delays and bureaucratic hurdles that force them to visit government offices, defeating the purpose of the digital, paperless system. A key issue reported by applicants is the mismatch between full names and initials across documents such as sale deeds, Aadhaar, and passports, a common practice in southern India. This inconsistency often leads to rejections or prolonged delays, they say. Despite BBMP's 48-hour e-khata promise, Bengaluru property owners face delays and must visit offices, defeating the purpose of a digital system. (Representational Image) (Unsplash ) Another major challenge arises in the case of jointly owned properties. Applicants say the e-khata is being issued in the name of only one co-owner, usually the one whose Aadhaar was uploaded first, even though others are mentioned in the registered sale deed. They say that currently, the online system does not allow applicants to correct or update such errors during the application process. They say the system's rigid data-matching protocols and software limitations are forcing many to take time off work, queue up at Assistant Revenue Offices, and manually correct issues that should ideally be handled online. In March, BBMP said that homeowners no longer need to visit the Bengaluru municipal corporation offices to obtain the e-khata, an electronic version of the traditional khata certificate, a digital record that validates the ownership details of a property in Karnataka. The final e-khata will be issued within two days of the application submission, as per a statement from BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue) Munish Moudgil. Bengaluru citizens within BBMP limits can now obtain their final e-khata within two days of application submission, he had said in June. Also Read: No need to visit BBMP offices: Homeowners can now receive final e-khata within 48 hours of submitting the application Initials vs full names: A digital mismatch One of the most common problems plaguing applicants is the mismatch between full names and initials across different documents, a common way of writing names in southern India. For example, a property owner named E.V. Ramasamy, whose name appears as Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy on his Aadhaar but E.V. Ramasamy on his sale deed, was unable to generate an e-khata online. "This is because the BBMP system attempts to validate all fields across documents, including full names, rather than relying on key identifiers like Aadhaar number and OTP-based verification," said Dhananjaya Padmanabhachar, director of the Karnataka Homebuyers Forum. 'This issue affects many owners who use initials in documents like sale deeds or Aadhaar,' he said. 'The system should be validating against key fields, not every detail. Due to this, people are being forced to physically visit BBMP offices just to validate or correct names, an option that is not even available on the official website.' Joint ownership issues persist Another major bottleneck affects jointly owned properties, where the e-khata system is generating certificates with only one owner's name, typically the person whose Aadhaar was uploaded first, leaving out co-owners despite them being listed in the registered sale deed, point out property owners. One user, Krishna Thatvam, wrote on the social media platform X, "You kept an error for joint owners applying e-khata online. We're forced to visit the ATO office to resolve it like it's the 90s. We have to sacrifice a day off at work! At least give a proper email reply to queries we ask.' According to BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue) Munish Moudgil, the e-khata system integrates with the Kaveri software, which houses the official sale deed. If names are listed in a single line in the deed, the system only pulls in one name, The Hindu reported. However, he said, there is a feature to correct this. 'There is an option called 'Add Owner' in the BBMP system. Adding names under this option will lead to the generation of e-khata with all names of the property owners,' Moudgil told The Hindu. Also Read: BBMP receives 50,000 e-Khata applications, launches a drive to recover ₹800 crore in dues from 3.75 lakh property owners Digital doesn't always mean hassle-free, say homeowners BBMP had promised a hassle-free digital system that would eliminate the need for repeated visits to government offices. But for many, the e-khata process has only become another tech-enabled bottleneck. 'There's no option to correct or update details while applying for e-khata online,' said Padmanabhachar. 'If there's even a small mismatch in the documents, such as initials versus full names or joint ownership issues, applicants are forced to visit the BBMP office in person. This defeats the very purpose of a digital, citizen-friendly system and adds unnecessary delays and inconvenience for homebuyers.' With technical inconsistencies, a lack of proactive user support, and non-intuitive workflows, homebuyers say they are stuck between a digital promise and an offline reality. 'It's high time the BBMP refined the system to be citizen-centric,' said Padmanabhachar. 'Otherwise, all it's doing is pushing people from one queue to another, this time, just behind a screen.' A list of queries has been sent to BBMP. The story will be updated once a query is received. What is an e-khata? E-khata is an electronic version of the traditional khata certificate, introduced by the BBMP in Bengaluru and other local bodies in October 2024. This digital record is available online, where property owners can apply for, download, and verify their khata without visiting the municipal office. Since launching the digital khata system in October 2024, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has processed and issued approximately 2.75 lakh e-khatas, according to official data. As of July, BBMP has received over 50,000 applications for new Khatas, and BBMP chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao has instructed officials to process these as a priority, noting that timely approvals could significantly boost property tax revenue.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
Auto fare hike hits commuters hard in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: It turned out to be yet another manic Monday for city commuters, with a new sore point: freshly revised autorickshaw fares. Many Bengalureans said the revised fares marked a rather unwelcome start to the month. From office-goers to college students, several expressed their frustrations over the added burden on their daily commute. According to the new fares, which became effective from August 1, the minimum fare within BBMP limits has been revised from Rs 30 to Rs 36 for the first 2 km. Beyond that, passengers will have to shell out ₹18 per additional km — up from ₹15 — adding to the strain on daily budgets. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Many commuters are now exploring other opportunities like carpooling to manage their monthly expenses. Niranjana Devi, an architect from Shantinagar who travels to Yelahanka for site visits, found herself in crosshairs with her auto driver on Monday morning. "The app showed Rs 365, but he demanded Rs 414. He flashed a news article about the fare hike and said the app hadn't updated it yet," she said. "With bike taxis off the roads, I had no choice, but to pay. This is unfair. At the very least, the govt should inform commuters before taking such a huge decision," she added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo Even her routine commute to Church Street, a mere 2-km ride, now costs her around Rs 200. "Buses don't go close to my office. The nearest stop is near Chinnaswamy Stadium, and I have to cross two signals to get there. After a tiring day, that's just not practical," she rued. Kajal Kumari, an IT employee, echoed similar frustration. "From Shantinagar to M G Road, I used to pay Rs 60. Now it's Rs 100 or more during rush hour. If there were better public transport options near my office, I would never choose autos," she said. For college students, too, the hike has thrown budgets into disarray. Riia Riti, 20, who travels daily from Doddakamanahalli to her campus on Bannerghatta Road, said her auto fare has more than doubled. "It used to be Rs 40, now it's Rs 90. So, I have told my parents to increase my monthly allowance," she said. Rahul Ravi Sankar, 19, who travels from Gottigere to Bannerghatta Road daily, said: "I was shocked when I saw the revised fares today. The ride that usually costs Rs 100 for 5 km is now Rs 150 to Rs 170 per." Rahul added that with autos never going by meters and aggregator apps not offering rides without tips, the new price is an added blow. "Paying around Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 every month just to go to college is practically impossible for a student like me."
