Work on Bengaluru suburban rail project awaits PM's push

The Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP), which was approved on October 21, 2020, is yet to take off with activists questioning the stance of the state government to wait for the prime minister to begin work on the project.

Rail Infrastructure Development Company, Karnataka (K-RIDE) has completed the preliminary works for Corridor 2 (Byappanahalli-Chikkabanavar). The government’s decision to wait for the central leaders has delayed the work on the ground, sources said.

Last month, Housing and Infrastructure Minister V Somanna told the Assembly that civil work on the project will begin by the end of month. The statement has proved to be false even as another month-end is approaching.

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“The deadline was announced after receiving a letter from Delhi about the prime minister’s availability for laying the foundation stone for the work in mid April. The same has now been cancelled. A new date will be announced once we receive communication about the PM’s arrival,” a senior official in the government said.

The BSRP was sanctioned nearly eight months before the airport metro line (Phase 2A) was approved in June 2021.

However, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has been able to start the work on the ground immediately, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by activists fighting for suburban rail for over a decade.

Pandemic restrictions

K-RIDE Managing Director Amit Garg said the project work was proceeding at the usual pace.

“Since we received approval, about five to six months of time was lost due to the pandemic restrictions. It’s a complex project for which we have received support from state and the cenral government,” he said.

Rajkumar Dugar of Citizens for Citizens sought know: “If K-RIDE has completed the preliminary work, why aren’t the state and the central governments giving the officials a free hand? Why can’t they begin the project without waiting for the arrival of the prime minister? Doesn’t BMRCL enjoy such a freedom,” he asked.

Krishna Prasad of the Karnataka Railway Vedike said the project had been been delayed for several decades. “Both state and the Centre are investing more than Rs 15,000 crore in the project and delaying it will not only burden the exchequer but also deny the service to the common man struggling to commute in a congested city,” he said.

‘Rapid pace’

Officials at K-RIDE said the background technical work was progressing at a rapid pace.

“Design plans for two corridors (corridor number 2 and 4) have received full approval. All plans of nearly 25-30 of the total 57 stations have been approved and frozen. The railways has been very cooperative in giving quick clearances for the project, including its complex components like multimodal integration,” a senior official said.

An official in the government said K-RIDE has the responsibility of bringing on board decision makers at different level of governances, which takes time. “Everything will fall in place in the next one year,” the official added.

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