BENGALURU: Setting a very poor public example, officials of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Tuesday evening huddled closely together on a Metro coach, on the inspection run for Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. The train ran from Vidhana Soudha Station to Kengeri, and back, stopping at a few stations.
The CM chose to travel inside a coach during the onward trip, and rode in the train operator’s cabin after the inspection.Yediyurappa was accompanied by Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Housing Minister V Somanna and RR Nagar MLA Munirathna, who sat with a little distance between them.
Metro officials who were standing near the train doors did not bother to maintain social distance -- ironical because BMRCL makes repeated announcements on trains and stations on the need to maintain distance, and even fined commuters who failed to do so, before the lockdown stopped operations.
The media contingent, in another coach, was no better, falling over each other to grab the best visuals, and giving social distancing the go-by. The CM’s political team, too, failed to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour during Yediyurappa’s press briefing outside Vidhana Soudha.
A Metro official told this reporter, “I wanted to get on board too, but after seeing the crowds inside the coaches, I opted out. I don’t want to risk getting infected.”BMRCL Chief Public Relations Officer B L Yashvanth Chavan, and Shankar, who takes care of PR for BMRCL Managing Director Rakesh Singh, did not respond to queries on violation of Covid norms.
Kengeri Line to be ready by July
CM Yediyurappa’s inspection trip began at 4.10 pm from Vidhana Soudha Station, stopping at Nayandahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Kengeri Metro Stations, where he inspected the progress of work. He reiterated that the 7.53-km extension of the Purple Line from Mysuru Road to Kengeri, with six stations, will be ready by July. BMRCL MD Rakesh Singh had recently announced that the launch was postponed from June to July, after conducting an inspection last week. “The maximum fare from Baiyappanahalli to Kengeri would be Rs 60, and also from Kengeri to Silk Institute,” he said. Ridership is expected to touch 75,000 a day on the section.