Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has requested the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to conduct a complete efficiency audit of the Bangalore Metro Rail Company Restricted (BMRCL).
In a proper letter addressed to KC Venugopal, Chairperson of the PAC, dated October 11, 2024, Surya outlined essential considerations concerning the BMRCL’s ongoing tasks, highlighting persistent delays, value overruns, and inefficiencies.
Surya has identified evident operational and administrative points, particularly within the implementation of Part 2A, 2B, and three of the metro growth, encompassing essential areas reminiscent of Silk Board, KR Puram, and Hebbal, which goal to increase the community by 100 kilometers from the present 73 km.
The letter comes amidst BMRCL’s delayed course of in procuring rolling inventory to cater to the rising metro passengers, delay in commissioning the three.7km stretch between Madavara and Nagasandra metro stations, and delay in operationalising the Yellow Line (18.8km) between Bommasandra and RV Street.
Just lately, Surya additionally requested Union Minister for Housing and City Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar to grant permission to operationalise the three.7km stretch which is delayed even after Commissioner of Metro Railway Security’s inexperienced sign.
Surya’s letter factors to a sequence of ‘administrative failures’ inside BMRCL, together with important delays in finishing key metro strains. As an example, whereas civil works on the Yellow Lineare reportedly 90% full, the venture has been stalled because of the delayed supply of the 216 coaches from its rolling inventory from the producer. “Equally, manufacturing for the Pink Line’s prepare units solely commenced in August 2024, pushing the projected operational timeline to late 2026, regardless of earlier targets indicating an earlier begin. Even the operation on the present strains started solely after a number of delays, pointing to systemic inefficiencies throughout the group,” Surya mentioned.
In his letter, Surya additionally talked about that the delays in metro tasks, such because the Yellow and Pink strains, have prompted important inconvenience to the general public and affected productiveness.
His request to the PAC facilities on the necessity for an in-depth examination of BMRCL’s monetary self-discipline, operational administration, and adherence to venture timelines. He proposes that the audit ought to give attention to key areas reminiscent of value overruns on account of venture delays and the monetary implications on public funds; site visitors congestion and the related lack of productiveness, pushed by delayed metro tasks; environmental affect, significantly the elevated vehicular emissions exacerbating air air pollution within the metropolis; effectiveness of measures taken to handle these delays and whether or not BMRCL has achieved its desired targets and standing of reaching the 317 km metro protection goal outlined within the Complete Mobility Plan 2031, together with an evaluation of present methods in place to fulfill this purpose.
His letter additionally highlights that regardless of constant advocacy for addressing the executive shortcomings of BMRCL, earlier pleas haven’t resulted in satisfactory corrective actions. “The efficiency audit is a essential step towards guaranteeing transparency and accountability in one in every of Bengaluru’s most vital public transport tasks,” mentioned Surya.
With 73.81 km already operational, Namma Metro is the second-longest metro community in India, serving over eight lakh passengers day by day on common. An extra 101.74 km of metro strains are at present below building, together with a 3.14-km extension of the Inexperienced Line, the 19.15-km Yellow Line, the 21.26-km Pink Line and the 58.19-km Blue Line. With the current approval of Orange Line (44.5km) by the Centre, the metro community will develop to 222.2 km.
