Bengaluru: Karnataka high court Thursday directed the state govt to inform contractors, to be picked in the coming months, about petitions challenging the proposed 16km Twin Tunnel Road project, and added that “no equity” should be created.“We specify that any such contract will be subject to the outcome of the petitions to ensure no equities are created,” the court said, posting the case to Aug 20. The earlier order against the felling of trees in Lalbagh also was extended.A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice KS Hemalekha, issued the directive, hearing a batch of PIL pleas challenging the project. Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya, along with other advocates, appeared for the petitioners. Documents with 7,000 pages were submitted in court.The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Adikesavalu Ravindra, theatre personality Prakash Belawadi, and others. They have challenged the July 14, 2025 tender notification issued by the state govt and the erstwhile BBMP (now GBA), various communications pertaining to the project, the feasibility study report of Dec 2024, and the detailed project report issued in Feb-March this year.According to the petitioners, the project, estimated to cost Rs 19,000 crore, is without lawful appraisal of its economic viability, social impact, and constitutional validity. It is a car-centric facility that privileges an affluent minority, and thereby it is discriminatory in nature, they added.In a related development, the court ordered notices to the state govt, Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority, and the Directorate of Urban Land Transport in response to a petition that challenged Rule 24 of the BMLTA Rules, 2026.
