He set September 15 as the tentative date for the inauguration of the Byappanahalli-MG Road stretch.
“The Prime Minister has agreed to inaugurate the Metro during the second week of September soon after his return from a two-day visit to Bangladesh. Tentatively, the inaugural ceremony will be held on September 15.”
However, there are serious questions over the readiness of Namma Metro for the proposed launch as it is yet to apply for safety certification. Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CRS) D K Singh told Deccan Herald: “They have not sent me any documents pertaining to inspection.”
It is likely to take some more time before the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) can send the documents applying for the inspection from the CRS, whose inspection and certification is critical for commercial operations on Reach-1.
As of Wednesday, the BMRCL was still awaiting the sanction of the Railway Board for commercial operations on the Reach. “We have sent an application with required documents to the Railway Board through the CRS for sanction of opening of the line on Reach-1,” BMRCL spokesperson B L Y Chavan said.
The Corporation can apply to the CRS for inspection and certification only after it obtains the sanction from the Railway Board. Singh, indicating that he has received the documents seeking the Railway Board’s sanction for the opening said: “BMRCL has currently sent some other documents but nothing pertaining to my inspection has reached me yet.”
The next 21 days will be crucial for the BMRCL officials, who had to cut a sorry figure when then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa had announced that the Reach would be commercially operational by Ugadi.
In April, then CRS J S Naidu had not even considered BMRCL’s application stating that it required more clarity and there were many problems.
Now, with the Railway Board yet to give its nod for the opening of the lines on the Reach, BMRCL’s wait to approach the CRS is getting longer, just like the City’s wait for its date with the Metro.
However, Sadananda Gowda’s promised to speak to Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi has provided a ray of hope. |
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