CCEA nod likely by March 16

CCEA nod likely by March 16
The Times of India

Bangalore: With the Group of Ministers (GoM) allowing the Karnataka government to legislate on the Metro Rail project and choose the gauge for the tracks, the cabinet note for approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was prepared on Friday.

Speaking to reporters, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) managing director K N Shrivastava said the note may be sent either on Friday itself or latest by Monday. The CCEA, which meets every Thursday, is likely to discuss the issue on March 16. Once CCEA clearance comes through, the Centre’s approval is deemed to be granted.
The shareholders’ agreement between the central government and Karnataka will be signed within a week after the CCEA approval. The draft agreement is ready and will be handed over to the Centre on Monday.

Shrivastava said a bhoomi pooja will be done by the month-end or first week of April. Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy will decide whom to invite for the pooja.

Also, a new logo has been prepared for the BMRC, which will be released by governor T N Chaturvedi on March 13 at 4.30 pm. The logo was chosen after a public contest was called through newspaper advertisements. Over 400 entries were received and four of them shortlisted by a panel of judges, Venkat Vardhan, Harish Bijoor and Sujatha Kesavan. Of the four, one was chosen with slight modification.

The BMRC corporate office will be shifted to the new BMTC building on Double road, and will be inaugurated by the CM on March 15. The general consultants to be appointed for the project will also be housed there.

Shrivastava said the first 7-km stretch, part of the Phase-I 37.5-km rail link, will be taken up between Byappanahalli and the Cricket Stadium via M G Road. Rail India Techno and Economic Services (RITES) has been appointed as general consultants for the stretch, where civil works are being taken up. Currently, the authorities have dug up some places on MG Road, including near Mayo Hall, to identify alignments of various utilities. These are the spots where pillars are going to come up. Water lines and sewage lines won’t be shifted, but telephone cables and some over head power lines will be, officials said.