Metro rail connectivity to the Kempegowda International Airport will be provided by December 2023, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told the Legislative Council on Thursday.
Bommai, the Bengaluru City Development minister, was replying to Congress MLC K Govindaraju's question on delay in the metro works in the city.
"Airport line works are happening with speed. We can see week-to-wee progress. By December 2023, which is another year from now, airport metro connectivity will be provided," Bommai said, pointing out that he had managed to give pace to metro works after becoming chief minister in July 2021.
Bommai said he is "personally supervising" the metro works. "In places where works are finishing, I've said that connectivity should be prpvided by March or April," he said.
Also, Bommai said he had asked officials to advance the deadline for Phase-2 of the metro from 2025 to 2024.
Govindaraju expressed concerns over metro works "going slow" in Bengaluru and cited the example of Hyderabad. "Metro works in Hyderabad have finished although they commenced after ours," he said.
Bommai said metro works are underway in high-density localities consisting of housing and commercial establishments. "Metro is intended for such parts of the city anyway. But, there are several challenges. Going undergound, for example, requires land acquisition and shifting of service lines. We also need to transplant trees," he said.
In his written reply, Bommai stated that work on the metro Phase-2 is progressing satisfactorily. However, initially, works were slow due to problems with land acquisition, removal of trees and the Covid-19 pandemic. "Of the six routes, two are open for the public and three more are planned to be commissioned in 2023. The remaining one line is planned for March 2025," Bommai stated.
In 2021-22, the metro Phase-2 work achieved a 68% progress, Bommai stated. "Tenders for the underground line were cancelled due to high premiums. Fresh tenders have been called."
According to Bommai's written reply, Reach 1 Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield (15.81 km) will be ready by March 2023, Reach 2 extension Kengeri to Challaghatta (2.05 km) by May 2023, Reach 3 extension Nagasandra to Madavara (3.14 km) by August 2023, Reach 5 RV Road to Bommasandra (19.15 km) by September 2023 and Reach 6 Kalendra Agrahara to Nagawara (21.26 km) by March 2025.
The total cost of the metro Phase-2 is Rs 30,695.12 crore.