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Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Land acquisition issues, pending bills': Bengaluru's ‘Stonehenge' Ejipura flyover unlikely to be completed this year
Written by Bhoomika Roy Banerjee Taunted as 'Bangalore Stonehenge' and 'monument' on Google Maps, work for the Ejipura flyover in the city does not appear to be headed for completion anytime soon. With uncleared bills, land acquisition issues, and just 50 per cent of the construction complete over eight years, the flyover has been creating more troubles instead of easing congestion in the area. Meant to connect Kendriya Sadan in Koramangala to the inner Ring Road at Ejipura Junction, the flyover stretches across 2.5 km. Its construction was approved in 2014 and a tender was awarded in 2017 with a 30-month deadline. The project was supposed to be completed in November 2019 but the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) extended the deadline to December 2020 and imposed a penalty for delay. Despite protests from residents and elected representatives, nothing changed. However, after the Karnataka Congress government came into power, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said in August 2023 that an additional Rs 141 crore was required for the project and assured to solve the problem soon. 'It is really unfortunate that the project has been delayed. I will ensure that it is completed,' he said then. Last month, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that around 50 per cent of the flyover's work was complete and the rest was underway. 'Initially, there was no need for land acquisition, but the BBMP still went ahead and notified 32 properties. Issues related to one property and the St John's (hospital) property are likely to be resolved in the coming days,' he said, adding that pending bills for the completed works will also be cleared soon. 'In view of the monsoon, I have instructed officials to lay an additional layer of asphalt under the flyover to ensure smooth traffic movement. We expect 90–95 per cent of the work to be completed by December,' he said. However, an official associated with the project said they are yet to iron out land acquisition issues. 'A portion of land close to St John's Hospital is yet to be acquired. A meeting has to be held with the stakeholders,' the official told The Indian Express. As of now, 416 segments out of the planned 762 have been cast, and 291 segments have been erected, according to the BBMP. On the ground, commuters and shopkeepers remain frustrated. While construction is going on, its pace is slow. Mohan Kumar, a traffic police constable stationed at the site, says, 'Peak traffic hours are from 8 am to 11.30 am and from 4.30 pm to 9 pm. It is always congested, and when it rains it becomes worse.' Muthu, an employee at TVS which is located near the construction site, said part of the flyover now passes in front of his shop, which is a sign of recent progress but beyond that point, there are 'just bare pillars.' Alim Pasha, manager of the long-standing Sapphire Gift shop in the area, said the situation has affected business, especially for smaller shops. 'Business has been bad, and people barely come. The store is mostly empty. Even if they come, it is mostly during the afternoon when the traffic is moderate. When it rains, the place in front of the shop gets clogged, so there is hardly any access. This flyover is a tragedy,' he said. Bhoomika Roy Banerjee is an intern with The Indian Express.
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank scam: 5 years on, victims demand deposit insurance hike from Rs 5-lakh limit
According to the bank data accessed by The Indian Express, 31,376 individuals had invested up to Rs 5 lakh, totaling Rs 84.57 crore, and 5,853 individual accounts had more than Rs 5 lakh, totalling up to Rs 1,350 by Bhoomika Roy Banerjee and Mehak Singh Five-and-a-half years after the Reserve Bank of India imposed a moratorium on Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamita (SGRSBN) in Basavanagudi, the affected depositors have intensified their demand for enhanced deposit insurance coverage. The victims, in a meeting held on Friday, have sought an increase from the current Rs 5-lakh limit imposed by the RBI under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). Harish V, joint secretary of the United Forum of Depositors — a group of SGRSBN depositors who are fighting to get back their money — stated that the government is doing little for their returns. In 2023, the Karnataka government ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe to look into the case where Rs 2,500 crore was allegedly misappropriated by the bank management. So far, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 159 crore as part of its probe into the alleged scam. However, Harish said, 'A Right To Information (RTI) query revealed that CBI had never taken the case to investigate. Thousands of them (depositors) are still in trouble and are unable to lead their lives.' He pointed out that even after five years there has been no attempt to recover the money by the defaulters or even by those from the management that led to the collapse of the bank. The administrators appointed by the government have changed but nothing has yielded any results, he added. According to the bank data accessed by The Indian Express, 31,376 individuals had invested up to Rs 5 lakh, totaling Rs 84.57 crore, and 5,853 individual accounts had more than Rs 5 lakh, totalling up to Rs 1,350 crore. Out of the 45,000 depositors, most of them got the Rs 5 lakh insurance amount from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). However, over 15,000 depositors who have deposited more than Rs 6 lakh are yet to get the complete relief amount. G K Gururaj, another joint secretary, said that the current DICGC insurance limit of ₹5 lakh provides inadequate protection for depositors who have lost their savings, running into lakhs and crores of rupees. 'A forensic report submitted to RBI has been passed to the administration for assessment. Preliminary estimates suggest losses of ₹1,944 crore, though depositors have expressed willingness to forgo nearly Rs 650 crore in accumulated interest if their principal amounts can be recovered,' he added. More than 60 of the depositors, mainly elderly citizens, have died after the bank fell into controversy, according to the forum. Among the depositors who attended the meeting was 76-year-old Usha Devi, a retired BBMP employee. Her husband died six months ago. Vasudev, an active member of the forum and a depositor, shared how his brother was recently denied hospital admission due to lack of funds. He also talks about the plight of elderly depositors whose basic medical necessities aren't met. He said, 'This is a humanitarian issue here; it's more than the money. Most of us are frustrated.' The RBI imposed withdrawal restrictions on SGRSBN in January 2020. (Bhoomika Roy Banerjee and Mehak Singh Interns with The Indian Express)
