BENGALURU: The dilly-dallying over the last three years on accommodating Bettahalasur Metro station on the KR Puram-Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) line has finally been sorted out. Embassy Group, which mooted the station in the first place, has said it will fund the station and has also deposited a token amount with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation. The Jakkur Plantation station, which was in doubt too, will also come up on the airport line.
A senior Metro official said, “A formal MoU between BMRCL and Embassy Group will be signed shortly. They have already deposited Rs 1 crore as a token contribution for the station.” The station, to come up between Bagalur Cross and Doddajala stations, is expected to cost around Rs 140 crore.
DC Nataraj, chief engineer, BMRCL, said, “The station, located 1 km from the IAF campus, will be built on the PPP model as originally planned with Embassy funding it and BMRCL carrying out the construction work.”
It was in April 2020 that Embassy Group came forward to sign an agreement to fund the station as it would offer easy access to its residents in the sprawling Embassy Boulevard complex here, an official said. However, it later conveyed its inability to offer any funding due to internal financial issues. In December 2022, BMRCL said it would drop the station.
The Chikkajala station, a late addition to the line based on public demand, was approved by the State Government’s High Powered Committee. It will come up between Bettahalsuru and Doddajala stations. BMRCL sources said the Jakkur Plantation Metro station, proposed to be jointly built by Bagmane and Century Group at a cost of Rs 120 crore, will also come up on the Airport Line.
The fate of this station too was hanging in the balance earlier. The 36.44-km Airport Line is divided into three packages - K R Puram to Hebbal (Pkg 1), Hebbal to IAF Campus (Pkg 2) and IAF to KIA (Package 3). Jakkur Plantation will be located between the GFTS Campus and Kogilu Cross. The deadline for the line is June 2026.