Bengaluru: Four years on, ORR Metro awaits Centre’s nod

BENGALURU: It’s been a month since two firms emerged the lowest bidders for the Silk Board-KR Puram section on Outer Ring Road Metro corridor. However, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited is yet to award tenders due to delay in getting the Centre’s approval for the project.
In December 2019, BMRCL floated a tender for the 19-km elevated stretch (Light Blue Line) with 13 stations along ORR, but it was later put on hold due to delay in getting nod from the Centre.
Last month, BMRCL opened bids after chief minister BS Yediyurappa gave the green signal. Mumbai-based Afcons Infrastructure Limited emerged the lowest bidder with Rs 785 crore for the first package — 9.8km elevated section with six stations (Central Silk Board Junction, HSR Layout, Agara Junction, Iblur Junction, Bellandur, Kadubeesanahalli and construction of a 2.8m flyover at Central Silk Board).
Bengaluru-based Shankaranarayana Constructions Pvt Ltd was the lowest bidder with Rs 623 crore for the second package — 9.7km elevated section with seven stations (Kodibisanahalli, Marathahalli, ISRO Layout, Doddanekkundi, DRDO Sports Complex, Saraswathi Nagar (Mahadevapura) and KR Puram and a 2km link line to Byappanahalli depot).
BMRCL had prepared a detailed project report for the ORR Metro in 2016 at a cost Rs 4,202 crore and the section was to be operational by 2021. It had planned to commence civil works in December 2020 and they were expected to be completed in 2024-25.
The line is crucial for the city as it passes through the IT corridor housing several multinational companies. However, the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) is turning a blind eye despite BJP being in power in both at the Centre and the state.
“We have been trying to get the Centre’s approval for ORR Metro for the past three and a half years, but only now it is reaching the approval stage,” said a senior BMRCL official.
Experts say BMRCL could have started construction without major traffic disruptions since most companies along ORR are working from home due to Covid-19. Vishwanath Seetharam, founder-secretary of Outer Ring Road Companies Association, said: “This is the right time to start work since 70% of employees are working remotely. They should take up this corridor on priority and complete it before techies and other office-goers return to the city after a vaccine is ready.”