Valued at Rs 176.86 crore, much-anticipated project set to kick off

BSCPL has signed an agreement with BBMP to take over project

The project was stalled and abandoned by earlier agency in 2021

The resumption of work on the Ejipura elevated corridor project in Bengaluru is scheduled for January 2024. Valued at Rs 176.86 crore, the much-anticipated project is set to kick off as Bollineni Seenaiah Company Private Limited (BSCPL), based in Hyderabad, signed an agreement with BBMP on November 15 to take over the incomplete project.

The completion target for the project is 15 months, aiming to connect Southeast Bengaluru to both East and West Bengaluru. However, a potential hurdle arises as BBMP has yet to provide the agreed-upon 5 percent advance of Rs 8 crore to BSCPL within the stipulated 30 days, raising concerns among residents that delays in payments may lead the new agency to abandon the project.

Originating in 2017 during the Congress-led government in Karnataka, the project witnessed 30 percent completion under the previous agency, Simplex Infrastructure Limited. Following the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition government in 2019, the project stalled and was ultimately abandoned by the agency in 2021.

Reportedly, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, also the BTM Layout MLA, attributed the slowdown to the lack of interest from the previous BJP government, alleging fund diversions to areas governed by BJP lawmakers. Under the current Congress government, the project has regained momentum and is expected to reach completion soon, according to Reddy. Before the acceleration of work, the agency undertook pre-casting activities and the removal of trees designated for the project.