Mounting political pressure on Wednesday did not make chief minister BS Yeddyurappa lose track of the metro project.
“Metro is ready. It may be waiting for me to inaugurate the commercial operations,” he told a gathering at the stone-laying ceremony of a housing project in Valagerahalli.
His statement was partly true as 97% of the metro work had been completed. But the chief minister seemed to be unaware of safety certification without which the metro cannot begin its commercial operations.
BMRCL is awaiting the report from the railway designs and standard operations (RDSO) on the technical safety trials done in June. Once it gets the report, the metro corporation will approach the commissioner of railway safety for the final safety inspection.
The date for metro launch can be finalised only after the commissioner gives his approval. Even if the commissioner agrees, the Centre will have to approve his submissions on metro safety before giving its green signal.
While Reach 1 of Phase 1 is 97% complete and ready for launch any time, Reach 2 from Magadi Road to Mysore Road is only 65% complete. Work at the underground section is progressing with tunnel boring machines Helen and Margarita drilling through the under belly from Majestic to KSCA grounds.
Helen, which started boring from the first week of June, has covered 60 metres and crossed the stretch under Dhanwantri Road. Margarita started boring from Majestic from Tuesday.
Reach 3 from Swastik to Yeshwanthpur, 3A from Yeshwanthpur to Peenya depot and 3B from Peenya village stations to Hessaraghatta are also half complete in stations areas. Half of the piers have been built.
Recently, traffic police blocked Tumkur Road near Goraguntepalya as a major portion of the stretch was taken for metro construction and commuters were asked to take alternative roads to go to BEL, Vidyaranyapura or Tumkur .
