From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 26: With mounting expenditure on staff salaries in the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), which operates the Namma Metro, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara has directed the BMRCL officials to take immediate steps to cut the expenditure on staff salaries which constitutes about 34% of the total operational cost.

BMRCL has been incurring daily expenditure of Rs 24 crore against the revenue of Rs 30 crore.

Dr Parameshwara, who is holding the Home and Bengaluru Development portfolios, told the management to reduced manpower cost to cut down overall expenditure.

He held discussions with BMRCL officials on Friday and said the matter related to the Namma Metro connecting KIA would be before the Cabinet after finalising the cost of the project.

With commuters in metro trains touching five lakh passengers daily, six coaches would be introduced in a phased manner, he said.

The State Government mooted this proposal after dropping the controversial steel flyover during the Siddaramaiah government.

Dr Parameshwara said the Kengeri line (Reach 2 extension) and Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) line (Reach 3 extension) would be completed by 2020.

The estimated cost of Namma Metro Phase 2 has been revised to Rs 32,000 crore, while the deadline of some metro lines has been pushed to 2023. The Gottigere-Nagavara (Reach 6) line would be completed in 2023.

He said BMRCL and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation are working on a common mobility card which allows commuters to travel in buses and metro trains with one smart card.