Metro rail is on snail trail

Metro rail is on snail trail
R. JAYAPRAKASH
BENGALURU







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The IT capital will have to wait for another 12 months for Namma Metro.

Compounding the delay is the hefty cost that the state will now have to bear — an additional Rs 1,105 crore! According to government sources, a number of factors led to the delay but the main reason is the slow pace of civil work on M G Road. Reach One of 7.1 kms between MG Road and Byappanahalli and the work on MG Road that was entrusted to contractor Navyug Construction has pushed back the completion date by another 10 months.

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) issued a show cause notice to the contractor to buckle up or face termination of the contract.

With the apparent delay the estimated cost of the project has now shot up to Rs 7,605 crore, up from the earlier estimate of Rs 6,500 crore. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) which is facing flak from the government and public over delaying the project cannot terminate the contract as this will prove “tedious and expensive” and only delay it further.

Government sources told Deccan Chronicle that several issues including the delay in works was taken up in the last board meeting.

“It was discussed in the board meeting that Navyug Constructions had delayed the project as they seemed illequipped to handle the big contract. But terminating the contract would mean more delays as fresh tenders would have to be floated and moreover termination is a long process, which would also pinch the BMRCL coffers as the forfeit clause will be applied,” sources said.

The statement of BMRCL chairman Dr M. Ramachandran that Namma Metro was behind schedule by a year and that the authority was ignorant of the fact that the contractor was illequipped sent BMRCL’s local authorities into a huddle.

“Every year’s delay means a cost escalation of 15 to 17 per cent of the total cost. Also, delay on Reach One will have a cascading effect as works on other ‘reaches’ will be eventually delayed,” officials said.

“When the project kicked off, the estimated cost was Rs 6,400. The project further suffered because of land acquisition issues followed by over 100 percent hike in steel cement prices. The deadlines issued to clear MG Road from all civil works was December. But now it looks like work will be over only by end of 2009,” the sources added. The officer explained that it was a complex situation to be in for executing projects of this size.

“We cannot hire and fire contractors just like that. Even they have issues such as hike in prices of raw materials.Even though there are provisions for sanctioning bills under such circumstances, the relief is minimal. But we cannot accept the delay caused by anything other that this as they are expected to have expertise in executing civil works within the stipulated time,” the official said.