Karnataka govt asks IT companies on Bengaluru's ORR to extend WFH till Dec 2022

The state government said that the advisory is to reduce traffic congestion on this stretch of the road where the metro work will be taken up.  

The Karnataka government has asked IT companies based on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) from Silk Board to KR Puram to consider extending the work-from-home option for most of its employees until December 2022. In an advisory issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT&BT, EV Ramana Reddy, the state government said that it was to reduce traffic congestion on this stretch of the road where the metro work will be taken up. 

"We would like to bring to your notice that BMRCL is starting metro construction works on Outer Ring Road (ORR) from Central Silk Board to KR Puram and the construction of the same could extend to about 1.5 to 2 years. The ORR houses many large Tech Parks and IT Company campuses and carries large amount of traffic throughout the day," read the advisory by EV Ramana Reddy. 

"The ORR despite having 6 lanes and service roads is infamous for its perennial traffic congestion. In the COVID pandemic



situation, with IT companies working from home (WFH) has provided some relief to traffic movement on ORR. However, with the start of metro construction on ORR, it would be extremely difficult to manage traffic movement on ORR especially if IT companies resume work from office," it added.

The advisory 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. Other suggestions include staggering work hours for employees and encouraging them to take BMTC or employee bus services provided by the company. There are bus priority lanes in the roads on this stretch.

The advisory was sent to the regional director of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and circulated among IT companies. The 19 km stretch of the Bengaluru metro in the area could take 1.5 to 2 years to be completed.

The Outer Ring Road has around 10 tech parks and is home to over 700 companies. EV Ramana Reddy reiterated that the advisory was not mandatory but that it was a suggestion to ease traffic congestion on the road.