About half a dozen properties comprising shops, lodges and budget hotels were on Thursday vacated as a safety measure by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited in Chickpet area to facilitate the tunneling work till the boring machine passes underneath them.
According to BMRCL officials, the property owners were paid the rent as per the agreement and the shop owners have been told not to operate business till the tunneling work ends after two weeks.
BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said it is a routine process and property owners have been paid for facilitating the work. Incidentally, BMRCL is facing hard time with tunneling work in Chickpet and Mutton Market in K R Market, with the ground being rocky beneath.
Work has resumed near Mutton Market where tunnel boring machine Godavari had got stuck due to hard rocks. The contractor commissioned another machine from the Majestic area for the purpose.