Date:11/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/11/stories/2008081159800300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Deadline not to be extended

Staff Reporter

Reach 1 of Metro to be ready by December 2010

BANGALORE: The December 2010 deadline to launch commercial operations on Reach 1 (Cricket Stadium to Byappanahalli) of the Namma Metro will not get further extended, according to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC).

The project is nine months behind schedule and no further delay will be allowed in the commercial launch, said BMRC Managing Director N. Sivasailam. Earlier, the project was scheduled for commercial launch in March 2010.

Though there were hiccups in land acquisition, they are being sorted out.

As of now, awards have been passed for over Rs. 77 crore in 65 cases of land acquisition involving nearly 4,900 square metres of land.

While compensation of Rs. 93 lakh has been paid to 59 persons, BMRC has taken possession of 75 properties so far.

Tenders have been floated for construction of Reach 2 (City Railway Station- Mysore Road) and Reach 3 (Yeshwanthpur-Swastik).

The deadline for completion of these reaches will be finalised at BMRC’s board meeting this week, Mr. Sivasailam said.

Similarly, designs for the construction of Ulsoor Road and Swamy Vivekananda Road (Old Madras Road) stations will be finalised during this board meeting, which will also fix the deadline for completion of the construction.