New Leadership, No Delay: Bengaluru Namma Metro's Yellow Line Progress Set To Soar

IAS officer Maheshwar Rao M has been appointed as the new Managing Director (MD) of Bengaluru Namma Metro. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in approving the appointment, has directed the Karnataka government not to assign additional responsibilities to the Managing Director without obtaining prior consent.

Earlier, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya urgently appealed to Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to intervene in the appointment of a full-time Managing Director at the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited.

During a meeting with the Union Minister in Delhi, Surya also requested Puri to conduct an inspection of Namma Metro projects in Bengaluru at the earliest. Sharing details of his meeting on X, Surya emphasized the need for a full-time MD to lead Bengaluru Metro operations, expressing concern that critical work, particularly on the Yellow Line, is facing delays due to the absence of a permanent leader.

Accusing the Congress-led Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka of lacking seriousness in the appointment process, Surya stated, "The state government seems least bothered about the delay and the cost overruns of Namma Metro, despite multiple reminders." He urged Minister Puri to intervene with the state government to expedite the appointment of a full-time MD.

Surya reported that the Minister assured him of a forthcoming visit to Bengaluru and promised to address the issue. Surya also requested Puri to assess the status of all Metro projects, including the crucial airport line, during his visit.

Continuing his efforts to address the delay in the completion of the Yellow Line, which stretches 18.8 km from RV Road to Bommasandra with 16 stations, Surya highlighted supply issues with the rolling stock for the metros during his inspection on October 4, 2023.