BELAGAVI: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that the Namma Metro route to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru will be thrown open for the public by December 2023.
Responding to a query by Congress member Govindaraju in the Legislative Council at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi on Thursday, Bommai said that the work on Namma Metro was progressing well.
“The work is going on in the middle of the city in populated areas,” he said, adding, all along the Metro rail construction within the densely populated and commercial areas has several hurdles like land acquisition, water, drainage pipelines, and electric and other cables. “These need to be solved and then the tunnel can be constructed,” he said.
Stating that not much can be done regarding the pace of the construction in the city, he said, “Look at the lesser populated areas like the airport route. You can all see how fast the work is progressing there. The work along with KIA will be completed by December 2023. I have reset the deadline for the completion of the entire project which will be done by April 2024,” he said.
Meanwhile, responding to queries over the delay, the chief minister said that the Covid-19 situation and other aspects including legal hurdles in felling trees have also added to the delay. The first phase of 42.30 km has been completed at a cost of Rs 14,133 crore.
The 6.2 km stretch under the second phase between Yelchenahalli to Silk Board has been completed at a cost of Rs 2,362 crore. Stretches along Kengeri-Challaghatta, Nagasandra-Madhavara, Byappanahalli-Whitefiled, RV Road-Bommasandra are nearing completion, he said.