BENGALURU: Construction work at Bengaluru Metro projects throughout the city is progressing slowly as the migrant workers involved in the projects have not yet returned after voting in the Lok Sabha elections.
The specialised workers required for Carpentry and Reinforcement shuttering (support to concrete before it becomes solid) primarily belong toJharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director M Maheswar Rao, who inspected the progress of the Airport Line on Tuesday, told The New Indian Express, “There has been a shortage of workers on the Airport Line due to which work is proceeding slowly. I have asked the contractor to expedite it. The same labour scenario prevails across our projects.”
BMRCL is presently carrying out these projects for which the physical workforce is required - Central Silk Board to KR Pura (ORR Line). KR Pura to KIA (Airport Line), the underground line from Nagawara to Kalena Agrahara and the depots at Baiyappanahalli, Challaghatta and Kothanur.
A representative of the contractor, NCC Limited, which is working on the Airport Line, confirmed the scarcity. “We require 700 workers to carry out the work smoothly. As of now, we have a shortage of 40% who have gone to their villages to cast their vote. We have been facing this issue for the last 1.5 months since elections were announced. However, once they leave, they take much time to come back as their local leaders too pressure them to stay there for some time the workers tell us.”
While return train tickets are generally booked for workers, in case of emergency requirements, flight tickets too are booked. “For emergency erection work, we required a few workers urgently and even booked flight tickets. However, workers are unwilling to come back,” he said. The workforce situation will get back to normal by this month-end or after the election results are declared, he added.
A representative of the contractor Shankara Narayana Constructions Pvt Limited, building a 9.77-km line from Kadubeesanahalli via K R Pura and Tin Factory to the Link Line of Baiyappanahalli depot said, “More than 300 of our workers, which is almost 50% of our workforce has gone to their hometowns. The departures began since the beginning of April. We expect them to return to work soon. Work will proceed normally then.”