Metro at Majestic long way away

The State government on Tuesday sought an additional six months to complete the work at Majestic Station, under Phase-I of Namma Metro project.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), which is facing several problems with delays, was late in even awarding the contract at Majestic. The contract was awarded only three months ago.

Addressing mediapersons on Tuesday, after the Cabinet meeting, Minister for Higher Education V S Acharya said that the “Phase-I, except Majestic, will be completed by 2013.”

However, according to experts the Phase-I is not likely to be commercially open before 2015.

For example, BMRCL has said that three earth pressure balanced (EPB) machines had been ordered ––one from Seli, Italy and two from Herenk- necht, China. The machines are expected to arrive in Bangalore only mid-year.”

The EPB machines allow soft, wet, or unstable ground to be tunnelled with safety. And this will precisely help the BMRCL’s tunneling work near Chickpet, where experts believe that the groundwater-level is slightly higher.

Road project cleared

The last hurdle for the road widening and upgrading of streets project inside the Jnanabharathi Campus of Bangalore University was cleared on Tuesday by the Cabinet.
The project includes the construction of a cycle lane, which the Bangalore University had decided to abandon  to save the 280 trees proposed to be felled by BBMP.

While the BBMP has already awarded the contract to widen the road inside the Jnanabharathi Campus,  BU V-C Prabhu Dev told Deccan Herald that the proposal for a cycle lane has been shelved to save the trees which were going to be chopped for the same.

“We have already clarified that the cycle lane will not be taken up as the trees were to be cut for the purpose. The only approval given by the varsity is for upgrading of the roads,” he said.  

However, Palike officials state that the 280 trees, mostly Ashoka trees, will have to be chopped if the road widening has to be taken up.

As per the previous proposal made by BBMP, the bicycle lane will run along the link road, which will have no green cover.

The BBMP was to construct the 2.4-kilometre road at a cost of Rs 13.14 crore, with a two metre-wide cycle lane inside the BU campus.

Apart from the construction of the link road, the Palike was to take up the repair work on nearly 500 metres of the road from the campus towards Mariyappanapalya and repair work on a 2.4-kilometre road in the opposite direction.

The cabinet has given the administrative approval for the “Development/upgrading of roads, construction of the Cycle Lane, Pedestrian Lane, road dividers, Circles at Jnanabharathi Campus by the BBMP”.

No amendment

The Cabinet didn’t give approval to amend the Karnataka State Universities’ Act to extend term of Syndicate members from three to four years.