BENGALURU: Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday accused the state government of misrepresenting Namma Metro’s funding pattern by including Rs 28,958 crore in foreign loans, arranged with the Centre’s sovereign backing, in the State’s contribution.
He put the Centre’s share at 53.35% and Karnataka’s at 46.65%, citing BMRCL’s approved funding plan as opposed to the claims of state bearing nearly 84% share.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to inaugurate the Pink Line’s elevated section on Friday, Surya challenged Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda’s claim that Karnataka was bearing nearly 84% of the total project cost of Rs 77,891 crore, against the Centre’s 16%.
Surya said the Rs 28,958 crore in foreign loans was arranged through the Centre’s sovereign guarantee, availed by BMRCL and serviced by the corporation, and was not a direct contribution from the state government’s budget. He said the state’s share, after excluding these loans, worked out to 46.65%, while the Centre’s share was 53.35%.
“BMRCL and the state government are two different entities. An attempt is being made to confuse the two and mislead the people,” he said, questioning why the state was claiming that it was repaying the entire loan amount. He also pointed out that both the Centre and the state had contributed Rs 9,164 crore each as equity to BMRCL, a 50:50 joint venture.
Surya also accused the Congress government of delaying the Pink Line, saying that of the 12 years since the project was approved in January 2014, the Congress had been in power in Karnataka for nearly nine years. He said the first 7.5 km elevated section had taken nearly 12 years to reach the inauguration stage, citing delayed contracts, cancelled tenders and execution setbacks.
On the proposed Orange Line, he alleged that changes in designs and alignment had delayed the project. Regarding Phase 3A, he said the initial proposal of Rs 28,405 crore had been revised to Rs 25,999 crore following a review sought by the Centre, potentially reducing the cost by Rs 2,406 crore.
Additionally he cited a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report and flagged Rs 6,603 crore in additional expenditure arising from delays in land acquisition and improper cost estimates. He said land acquisition costs for Phase 2 increased from an initial estimate of Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 7,458 crore by March 2023.
He also questioned the state’s proposed Hebbal short tunnel and elevated corridor projects, alleging that they could affect the planned Metro alignment and that the state had not adequately addressed concerns over integrated planning.
Surya’s remarks came a day after Byre Gowda said Karnataka was bearing Rs 65,291 crore, or 83.8% of the Rs 77,891 crore combined project outlay, while the Centre’s contribution stood at Rs 12,600 crore, or 16.2%. The minister had said the State was effectively spending nearly Rs 5 for every rupee contributed by the Centre.
