'Where is the pillar? Am I blind?': Krishna Byre Gowda fumes over slow work on Bengaluru airport metro line

Bengaluru: Over a week after reviewing metro construction on the airport line, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda conducted another inspection on Sunday morning, covering the stretch between Nagawara and Bagalur Cross stations. 

He reviewed the work at Nagawara, Veeranapalya, Hebbal, Esteem Mall Junction, Allalasandra, Jakkur Aerodrome, Byatarayanapura and Kodigehalli. 

Expressing anger over the slow pace of work, Gowda pulled up NCC Limited — the contractor for the Benniganahalli-Kempapura section. 

"There has been no progress for two years. Does it take two years to build one pillar? And now you claim you will do magic in two months? Where is the pillar? Am I blind?" he is heard telling officials in videos shared by his office. 

He expressed displeasure at indefinite road closures and traffic diversions, and how they were putting people to hardship. He noted that road closures were "unnecessary" at many places. 

"Why do you block the road if no work is going on? Don't block the road if you can't do the work," he says in another video. 

The minister instructed officials to remove a transformer placed on the footpath and the directed National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to remove footpath encroachments and complete the service road. Following his instructions, officials removed encroachments from several places. 

Gowda instructed metro authorities to immediately begin footpath development near Byatarayanapura Junction, and directed BMRCL and NHAI officials to clear blockages at Kodigehalli, his office said in a statement. 

During his first inspection on December 3, Gowda had asked aloud whether building a metro pillar was rocket science, while senior BMRCL officials listened. 

Gowda represents the Byatarayanapura assembly constituency, which includes parts of the 58.18-km Silk Board Junction-KR Pura-Airport stretch on the Blue Line under Phase 2A/2B. 

Construction on the KR Pura-KIA metro corridor was held up for nine months in 2023 due to a fatal accident in HBR Layout. 

While construction has picked up, the BMRCL cannot make up for lost time as it's facing a shortage of construction workers, according to a senior official. 

On the Benniganahalli-Kempapura section, pier work is 75% complete, caps, beams and tiebeams 62%, and girders 34%. For the Kempapura-Yelahanka stretch, the respective figures are 92%, 75% and 63%. The progress between Yelahanka and the airport is 97%, 95% and 88%, respectively, according to BLR Metro Tracker. 

The BMRCL plans to open the Blue Line in three phases. The Silk Board-KR Pura (19.75km) section will open by December 2026, Hebbal-airport (27.44 km) in June 2027, and KR Pura-Hebbal in December 2027.