Phase-one of Bengaluru Metro on track for year-end finish

BENGALURU: The state government has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the much-delayed phase-one of the Bengaluru Metro - a 42-km of metro rail network -would be completed by the end of this year.

Modi held a review meeting with chief secretary Kaushik Mukherjee via video conferencing on Wednesday seeking to know he progress of the Bengaluru Metro, which should have been completed two years ago.

Modi holds video conferencing sessions every fourth Wednesday with chief secretaries across the country to keep track of Centrallysponsored schemes. “The PM enquired about the delay in completing the metro work. I assured the PM that phase-one would be completed by the end of 2015,“ Mukherjee told ET.

The PM apparently pointed out he cost escalation of the project, which has increased from Rs 11,609 crore two years ago to Rs 13,800 crore now. “I explained to him that the project is delayed and cost escalated on three grounds -land acquisition, construction of the (underground) Majestic metro station and the tough rock terrain,“ he said. Mukherjee told the PM that the government has rolled out the process of acquiring land for phase-two. “The phase-two, which is 72.1 km, will be completed in five years from April 2015,“ the chief secretary said.