Metro one year behind schedule

Metro one year behind schedule
From Ajit Athrady, DH News Service, New Delhi:
With numerous complaints plaguing the ambitious Bangalores Namma Metro project, work is going on at a snails pace. As a result of this, the Centre will direct the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) to fix specific deadlines for contractors to complete their work within a specific timeframe.


“We are apprehensive about the tardy progress of Metro works in some stretches. So, we will fix a deadline for each work and ask contractors to adhere to it without any excuse. Necessary directions will be issued to the BMRCL,” M Ramachandran, secretary Union Ministry of Urban Development, told Deccan Herald here on Wednesday.

Though Ramachandran refused to quantify the delay, officials in the Ministry admitted that the project was already one year behind schedule.

According to Ramachandran, who is also the chairman of the BMRCL, though initially contractors gave assurance to expedite the works, the Centre was not satisfied with the work done. “Henceforth if the contractor fails to meet the deadline, we will take stern action including removing him from the list of contractors and impose penalty,” he said.

The BMRCL board meeting will be held by end of this month to review the progress of works and is expected to take a major decision in this regard, Ramachandran said.

Without naming the contractor he said: “While selecting this contractor for works, we did not anticipate that he was ill equipped. Henceforth, we will be very cautious before awarding tender.”

Senior officials in the Union Ministry of Urban Development said that initially the government toyed with the idea of removing the contractor and a fresh tender but dropped it after legal advice.

The main complaint that the Ministry received is regarding the Reach One (Byappanahalli to M Chinnaswamy cricket stadium) works. The works commenced in January 2007 and was scheduled to be completed in 27 months (April, 2009).

However, there is no sign of its completion even by mid-2010. This, even after getting six months’ extension to complete the works, senior officials in the Ministry said.

As per earlier schedule the Metro rail will have to operate on this stretch from March 2010.