BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the Union Government of not following the 50:50 ratio in fund sharing for metro construction. The CM said that for building 96.1 km of metro in Bengaluru, the state’s share was Rs 25,387 crore and the Centre’s share was just Rs 7,468.86 crore. He said that by 2030, they are aiming to expand the Namma Metro network to 220 km.
Speaking at the foundation stone laying for Bangalore Metro Phase 3 on Sunday, where he shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, among others, the CM said, “Works for Bengaluru Metro started in 2005 when Dr Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister. As per the agreement, metro construction should have been taken up in a 50:50 fund ratio. However, the state’s contribution in building the metro is high.”
While acknowledging that the Centre is providing financial and technical assistance to metro, Siddaramaiah said that much of it comes in the form of loans and equity, which states must repay with interest. “The State Government has provided its share of Rs 25,387 crore for Metro Phase 1, 2, 2A, 2 B and 3. For loan repayment, Rs 3,987 crore have been provided,” Siddaramaiah said. He said that so far, Rs. 59,139 crore have been allocated for metro projects with the state’s contribution at 87.37% and the Centre’s share at 12.63%. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also joined the CM and said the state had a major share in metro construction.
Siddaramaiah said that with the launch of the Yellow Line, Namma Metro has an operational length of 96.1 km and has earned the credit of having the longest metro network in South India. He also said that nearly 3.5 lakh passengers will use the newly launched Yellow Line, providing connectivity to major IT hubs and biotechs, hospitals and industrial zones, and with this, and the daily ridership of the metro network will touch 12.5 lakh. The CM expressed confidence that the Metro Phase 2 A and 2 B will be completed by the end of 2027, and with this completion, the total ridership will soar to 15 lakh.
“Civil works for the 44.65 km Metro Phase 3, which will further improve the connectivity, will commence soon. A feasibility study is being done for a 53 km, double-decker-cum- metro, under the Phase 4,” the CM said, adding that by 2030, they are aiming to expand the Namma Metro network to 220 km with a ridership of 30 lakh.
Siddaramaiah urged the Centre to fund Karnataka, like how states like Maharashtra and Gujarat are funded.
