Bengaluru Suburban rail project stuck

Bengaluru Suburban rail project inaugurated a few years ago to tackle the massive traffic problems of the city has not taken off, according to media reports.

The only corridor of the project where work has started -- Corridor 2 from Benniganahalli to Chikkabannavar – work 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 by the state government. A serious labor shortage had impacted the contractor.

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)...”

The contractor faced an acute shortage of labor until late last year. It picked up pace after that and workers are returning in batches. Most jobs require bar benders and carpenters and we are stuck without them. The labor situation has improved now.”

The monthly billing submitted for reimbursement by the contractor was only Rs 3.5 crore at one stage. One can imagine how much time it could take for a project costing up to Rs 800 crore to be completed at this pace