BENGALURU: The only corridor of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail where work has started -- Corridor 2 from Benniganahalli to Chikkabannavar -- is proceeding at a sluggish pace, though one-and-a-half years have elapsed since the work order was issued. A major chunk of the required land is yet to be handed over to the contractor. A serious labour shortage had impacted the contractor, but was solved recently.
‘Labour situation has improved now’
Larsen & Toubro Ltd got the contract for the Rs 859.67 crore corridor (25.01 km) from the project nodal agency -- the Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises (K-RIDE). Responding to a written questionnaire from TNIE, K-RIDE said, “Total manpower excluding supervisors and engineers is 400-plus as of date.”
Another source said, “The contractor faced an acute shortage of labour until Deepavali. It picked up pace after that and workers are returning in batches. Most jobs require barbenders and carpenters and we are stuck without them. The labour situation has improved now.”
The monthly billing submitted for reimbursement by the contractor was only Rs 3.5 crore at one stage. “Can you imagine how much time it could take for a project costing up to Rs 800 crore to be completed at this pace,” he posed.
K-RIDE said, “The average monthly expenditure billing we are receiving now is approximately Rs 6 crore.”
Another source said, “K-RIDE is yet to hand over a huge portion of land to L&T as buildings have not yet been demolished. Many of the 280 buildings that had to be demolished could not be acquired. The alignment has been slightly changed leaving less space near the tracks and only 180 buildings are to be acquired now. In Banaswadi, 65 buildings have to be demolished, in Kanakanagara 85 and Lottaganahalli 95. Of the private land required, 2.9 acres are yet to be acquired near Kanakanagara and 2 acres near Lottagananahalli.” They fall under the resettlement and rehabilitation package.