BENGALURU: Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Vijay Goel on Thursday announced that Metro Phase II would be commissioned by 2021. An official press note issued on the occasion specified the completion deadline as March 2021. Briefing reporters after reviewing the status of ongoing Metro projects with top officials, Goel said, “The Phase II will be commissioned in 2021. The main problem was acquisition of land and it has almost been sorted out now with the assistance of Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).”
Phase-II, an extension of all Phase-I lines and two new lines, runs to a length of 72.095km. It is estimated to cost Rs 26.405 crore.Goel said while Phase-I had 8km of underground network, Phase-II had 12km. “Underground tunnelling costs Metro Rs 500 crore per km while the overground line will cost Rs 190 to Rs 240 crore per km,” the minister said. Top Metro officials had previously maintained that Phase-II would be completed by 2020 end. Asked if any extension in deadline was being announced on Thursday, BMRCL Managing Director Mahendra Jain said, “Work on Phase II began in February 23, 2016, and the contract has been awarded for a five-year term. So, the deadline had always been 2021. It has been specified in our Detailed Project Report too.”
Citing the instance of the Nagawara-Gottigere Line, the MD said, “It will take 36 months after the contract is awarded for the civil works to be completed and another six months to complete other works.” On the status of the Metro link route to the airport, Jain said, “We have sent it for approval to the Centre and are waiting to hear from them.”