The Kochi Metro authorities have got into a damage control mode following concerns expressed on Monday by DMRC’s Principal Advisor E. Sreedharan about timely completion of the project.
The project has to be ready latest by June 2016, three years since work began. The metro man reportedly expressed his worry over delay in land acquisition, especially in the narrow Vyttila-Pettah stretch where the process has not yet begun.
DMRC is also peeved at undue intervention by regional leaders of trade unions at metro’s casting yards. “Most workers who owe allegiance to the unions are unskilled, but have to be paid wages equal to or more than that is paid to the skilled work force deployed by contractors.This is affecting the pace of works and the work culture,” sources said.
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KMRL has decided to take up trade union-related issues with the regional Joint Labour Commissioner on Wednesday. “We too share DMRC’s concerns about the quality and pace of works by unskilled workers attached to unions. Every effort will be made tocommission metro rail as per schedule,” KMRL sources said.
Metro works has suffered delay of over a month because of strikes by goods transporters, quarry and crusher owners and trade unions. On the inordinate delay in acquiring land for widening Vyttila-Pettah Road into four lanes, metro rail sources said the State government was expected to accord administrative sanction shortly, before the model code of conduct for Lok Sabha polls takes effect.