From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Feb 9: In a major decision after securing the Supreme Court’s green signal for going ahead with land acquisition for the ambitious peripheral ring road (PRR) project around Bengaluru last year, the State Cabinet has decided to go ahead with the mega project estimated to cost over Rs 21,000 crore on a private-public-participation (PPP) model.
Briefing media representatives after the State Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, February 9, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said the PRR project will be executed by inviting tenders on PPP model on a 50-year lease for collection of the toll to recover the cost and then hand over the project to the State Government.
The State Government decided to implement the project on PPP model as it was unable to fund the entire project. The selected private contractor on the basis of tenders would be allowed to design, build, finance and operate the peripheral ring road for 50 years and collect toll charges.The length of the PRR would be a little over 70 kms and it will be 100 ft wide. The total land required for the project will be a little over 2500 acres, which involves 1,810 acres that were originally notified.
When the PRR project was first mooted 15 years back in 2007, the estimated cost was Rs 3,000 crore which will now be more than Rs 21,000 crore including the cost of land acquisition.
The Minister explained that the selected contractors to build the PRR project will have to bear the entire cost of land acquisition of around Rs 5,000 crore.
Madhuswamy said the State Cabinet also decided to entrust the Mudhol taluk sugar factory in Bagalkot district to a private company on a 40-year lease period on payment of Rs 320 crore.
It also approved the Lift Irrigation project in Athani taluk of Belagavi district at a cost of Rs 49 crore for the first phase, release of Rs 10 crore for laying a 9 kms road in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburgi district, sanction of Rs 28 crore for the construction of the third floor on mini Vidhana Soudha building in Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district, construction of Anubhava Mantap building at a cost of Rs 560 crore at Basava Kalyan and fixing the maximum limit of Rs 25 crore for registration of share-holding of companies in Stamps and Registration Department on the model of Maharashtra State. It also approved taking up of Jal Jeevan Mission projects in several districts.