“Two years for one pillar?”: Revenue Minister slams delays on Bengaluru airport metro Blue Line again

After an early-morning inspection of the Phase 2B airport corridor, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda pulled up BMRCL officials and contractors over slow progress, poor coordination and public inconvenience caused by prolonged metro works.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has once again come down strongly on officials of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and metro contractors over the slow pace of work on the Blue Line airport corridor, stating that repeated delays are causing avoidable hardship to the public.

The Minister conducted an early-morning inspection on Sunday along the Phase 2B stretch from Nagawara to Bagalur Cross, beginning around 7 a.m. During the visit, he reviewed work at key junctions including Veerannapalya, Hebbal, Esteem Mall Junction, Allalasandra, Jakkur Airdrome, Byatarayanapura and Kodigehalli.

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The inspection was attended by Bangalore North Corporation Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar, senior metro engineers, and officials from BWSSB, Bescom and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Expressing dissatisfaction with the progress on the ground, Mr. Gowda questioned officials over metro pillars that have remained incomplete for nearly two years at several locations. Taking a sharp dig at the claims of quick completion, he asked how work that took years for a single pillar could suddenly be finished in two months, remarking on the spot that such assurances sounded unrealistic.

The Minister also criticised the lack of planning and coordination, pointing out that construction had been blocked at certain locations while work was being carried out elsewhere. He questioned why the public should suffer because of administrative inefficiencies and poor execution.

Raising concerns about safety and accessibility, Mr. Gowda noted that footpaths and service roads were cluttered with construction debris, making movement difficult for both pedestrians and motorists. He directed officials to immediately clear encroachments and dispose of metro waste, and ordered the removal of debris in his presence during the inspection.

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He further flagged unnecessary road blockages caused by metro construction, stating that these had resulted in daily traffic congestion across several parts of north Bengaluru. Officials were instructed to remove avoidable barricades, reopen roads wherever possible, and ensure smoother vehicular movement.

The inspection follows a review meeting held on December 3 in the Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency, which Mr. Gowda represents. During that review, he had already expressed strong displeasure over the prolonged delay in the Blue Line project.

The airport metro corridor, originally scheduled for completion in 2025, was later revised to 2026 and has now been pushed further to 2027. The Minister warned that the slow progress was causing severe inconvenience to commuters and reiterated the need for BMRCL officials to resolve bottlenecks without any further delay.