BMRTL plans to give Metro as Independence Day gift

BMRTL plans to give Metro as Independence Day gift
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: After much dilly-dallying and debate, Bangalore Metro Rail is now steadily crossing many bureaucratic hurdles. It is now expected to come as an Independence Day gift to Bangaloreans.

As per the latest plans, Bangalore Mass Rapid Transit Limited (BMRTL) is scheduled to start ground-work on August 15.

BMRTL, which is the nodal agency for implementing the mass transit system in the city, has completed all preparations and is only waiting for the green signal from Project Investment Board (PIB) to put the project on the tracks.

“Once the PIB clears the project, we will start the ground work from August 15,” BMRTL Managing Director K N Shrivastava told this website’s newspaper on Thursday.

The Government agency had earlier planned to start the work from July-end, but it had to be abandoned due to delay in getting PIB clearance. The Board, which had given ‘in-principle' approval to the project during its June meeting, is likely to approve it during middle of next week.

The State Government and BMRTL is eagerly awaiting the PIB's clearance to start the work soon as the delay will only further escalate the cost of the Rs 6,200 crore project.

“The PIB had sought some clarifications about the project and same have been provided to it. Now it is expected to be cleared in next week's meeting,” sources said.

The issues raised by the PIB mainly revolved around flow of funds for the project.

After the PIB clearance, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has to approve the project. However, that will be a mere formality, as all technical aspects of the project would have been subjected to detailed scrutiny by the PIB.

The board also has to decide the track gauge. While, BMRTL is planning to have standard gauge, the Railway Ministry is insisting on broad gauge.

Meanwhile, the BMRTL has short-listed the firms that participated in its international bid, held several rounds of meetings with bankers, completed other necessary works like soil-testing and environment impact assessment.

Partly underground, partly elevated and partly on the surface, Metro Rail will have two corridors. The 23-km-North-South corridor will connect Peenya to JP Nagar and the 17-km East-West corridor will link West of Chord Road to Byappanhalli.

Kencana Kasifa Transit System (KKTS), a Malaysian consortium that has offered to build the Bangalore Metro with the minimum participation from the Government, seems to have missed the project, at least in the first phase.

“Now it is too late for the first phase and the offer can be considered for the second phase of the project,” a senior officer told this website’s newspaper.