While Namma Metro is already behind schedule by over two years, it has come up against a fresh hurdle. The Railways are playing spoilsport once again and holding up its progress. To the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation's shock the Railways are demanding huge compensation for land that was given free of cost to them by the state government, to let it be used for the Metro rail.

Much to its anger, its request for permission to start work on Namma Metro on railway property by March 13 has been ignored. The BMRCL has been left wondering how the railways can demand Rs125. 702 crore as license fee from it to use part of the STC area and SBC Yard for building a pocket track and an underground Metro station, when the land in question originally belonged to the state government, .

“The land which the Railways are claiming was given by the state government free of cost to the South Western Railway (SWR). But it is demanding a license fee of over Rs100 crore to let us use it. We are not private players executing a private project. This is a public project funded by the state and Union governments. The Railways should cooperate with the BMRCL as both are government entities,” says BMRCL spokesperson B.L. Yaswanth Chavan.

This is not the first time that Namma Metro is having to deal with opposition from the Railways as it has created hurdles for it at several locations where it has acquired railway land. “The Railways have been creating unnecessary problems for the BMRCL. The Swastik Station property which belonged to the National Textile Corporaton, a government of India agency, was transferred a long time ago to Mantri developers to build the Metro station. But suddenly SWR officials have begun claiming that the land belongs to them. We have not halted the work, however, as there is no stay on it by the courts,” adds Mr Chavan.

The BMRCL has pinned it hopes on the talks the chief secretary held on Monday with the general manager of the South Western Railways. “He has asked him to allow BMRCL to work on railway land as the issue of the cost to be paid to the railways may take some time to be resolved,” Mr Chavan reveals, explaining that BMRCL is now waiting to hear from the SWR general manager.

We are entitled to compensation: SWR

The South Western Railway (SWR) claims it is entitiled to the compensation it is demanding for use of its property near the city railway station for the Metro Rail.

“If the BMRCL feels the compensation is too high we are willing to discuss the issue. Although the BMRCL is a government institution , it is required to pay it,” says SWR Division Railway Manager (DRM) S. Mani.

The stand-off between the agencies continues with the SWR refusing to allow work on Namma Metro at the STC and Platform Road unless the BMRCL makes an additional payment of Rs 120 crore and the latter insisting it is liable to pay only Rs44 crore more for land acquisition, having paid Rs94 crore already.

The lack of coordination between the two agencies is costing the people dearly as they will have to wait longer for Metro connectivity in the city. But rubbishing all criticism of the railways, Mr Mani says their actions are guided by rules and regulations and the BMRCL will have to fall in line.