The Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) has asked Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) to construct buildings with a total built-up area of 80,000 sq ft on its premises in lieu of five building blocks under which the tunnel alignment of the North-South Corridor passes through.
But as construction of the new space entails an expenditure of about Rs. 30 crore, which was not included in the revised sanctioned estimate of Rs. 11,609 crore of Namma Metro Phase 1, the BMRCL has referred the matter to the State government’s high-powered committee for concurrence.
The tunnel alignment passes below some of Victoria Hospital’s old buildings immediately after the City Market underground station. The contractor executing the tunnelling and station work felt that the buildings — the X-Ray (H) Block, Sirur (G) Block, Janata Bazaar, Microbiology and Virology Department, and New Ward (C) Block — are in poor condition.
As per the contract terms, the contractor is prepared to foot the bill of relocating the fixtures, provide temporary shelter and shift them after repairing any damage to the buildings. However, BMCRI informed BMRCL it plans to construct multi-storeyed buildings in the area above the alignment. This riled BMRCL which said it cannot be permitted as the pile foundations of the buildings are bound to affect the tunnel below.
‘Foot the bill’
As an alternative, BMCRI has urged BMCRL to construct buildings on 25,000 sq ft in lieu of cost of land which cannot be put to use; bear the cost of construction of equivalent area of buildings which would be vacated during the tunnel construction; build two additional floors on the alternative new building; and bear the cost of cobalt unit de-loading and loading.
BMRCL estimated that all this would entail an additional expenditure of Rs. 30 crore.
