Disappointment For Bengaluru Commuters: Yelachenahalli-Anjanapura Metro Misses Deadline

The declaration of the earlier government to open 6.39 km Yelachenahalli-Anjanapura line by December 2018 has turned out to be a shallow promise. Anjanapura will be connected to the metro line only by 2019, Deccan Herald has reported.

Bengaluru Development Minister of the earlier government KJ George during an inspection of metro work had announced that the line would be open by December.

Ajay Seth, Managing director of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said that the civil work on Anjanapura rail line would be completed only by April 2019.

“We will be able to commission both the lines (Anjanapura and Kengeri) in 2020. I cannot give the precise month (for commissioning) at this juncture,” he said.

The work on the Kengeri line has been severely hit by its 3.95 km Mysore Road-Pattangere stretch contractor, due to Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) being mired in a financial crisis.

“The contractor has finished 75 per cent of the work, and we are looking into the issues. Work is going on, and the line will be commissioned in 2020,” Seth said.

Tender were invited in February by BMRCL for the Silk board-KR Puram Metro line on Outer Ring Road (Phase 2A). Bid submission deadline was extended in May. The financial bids are not opened yet.

As per the daily, crisis-laden IL&FS has emerged as the lowest bidder.

On the decision of awarding the tender, MD said that BMRCL is still looking into the matter.

“We have not yet awarded the tender for ORR Metro. There are issues, which are being closely evaluated. We would not like to take any knee-jerk decision,” he said.