In the wake of the commencement of metro work on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), from Silk Board to K.R. Puram, the State government has come out with an advisory to IT companies.
In the advisory issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT&BT, E.V. Ramana Reddy, the State government has asked the IT companies, especially those located on ORR, to extend the work-from-home option for most of the employees till December, 2022.
They have also been advised to stagger the working hours for employees working at office. To reduce the traffic congestion on the road, the companies have been asked to encourage employees working from office to take BMTC buses or employee bus services provided by the company by using bus lanes.
The advisory has been sent to the regional director of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and circulated among the companies.
The letter states that metro work on the 19-km stretch could take one-and-a-half to two years.
‘Traffic congestion’
“The ORR houses many tech parks and IT company campuses and carries a large amount of traffic throughout the day. The ORR, despite having six lanes and service roads, is infamous for its perennial traffic congestion,” the letter stated.
The letter further stated that it would be extremely difficult to manage the traffic movement on ORR, especially if the IT companies resume work from the office.
In response to the advisory, the Outer Ring Road Companies’ Association (ORRCA) stated: “ORRCA’s understanding is that the government is going to issue a revised statement following questions they have received on the advisory. We are waiting for the revised statement and will respond.” The ORR houses over 700 companies and 10 to 12 tech parks.
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When contacted, Mr. Ramana Reddy said: “Based on the suggestions from the Urban Development Department we have issued the advisory. It was intended to reduce the congestion on the road. I am reiterating that it is only an advisory and not mandatory”.
