Bengaluru: Ahead of the inauguration of Bengaluru Metro’s Yellow Line by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday claimed Congress’ credit for the project. Accusing the BJP of “hijacking” the credit for the metro line, the Congress MLA emphasised that the metro project was launched under the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government and has more contribution from the state government than the PM Modi-led NDA government. In a post on X, Priyank Kharge said, “I welcome Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Karnataka for the inauguration of the Yellow Line Metro. As BJP desperately tries to shift the focus from #VoteChori to #CreditChori by hijacking the credit for the Yellow Line phase 2, let’s set the record straight. The Metro project was launched under the UPA Government led by Dr Manmohan Singh. In the first phase, the UPA Government bore a significant portion of the cost, outpacing the State Government’s contribution.” He accused the BJP government of “decreasing” the central government’s shares in the project, suggesting their “dwindling” commitment, and argued that the state government “shouldered” the bulk of expenses. “After the BJP came to power, their commitment to the project dwindled, with the Central Government’s share decreasing drastically in subsequent phases. Meanwhile, the Karnataka Government has shouldered the bulk of the expenses, contributing over ₹12,000 crores, covering land acquisition costs and additional expenses,” Priyank Kharge said. “In stark contrast, the Central Government has provided a paltry Rs 8,000 crores, effectively washing its hands of its responsibilities. This lack of support forced BMRCL to take loans to cover the remaining project costs,” he added. Karnataka Minister further called out the ‘inequality’ between the state’s contribution to the economy and the centre’s allocation of funds to the state. “While Karnataka’s contributions to the Centre continue to grow year after year, the returns to the state diminish, and the Metro Yellow Line project is a glaring example of this,” Kharge said. Today, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Yellow Line from RV Road (Ragigudda) to Bommasandra of the Bangalore Metro Phase-2 project, having a route length of over 19 km with 16 stations worth around Rs 7,160 crore. With the opening of this yellow line, the operational metro network in Bengaluru will increase to over 96 km, serving a large population in the region. The PM will also flag off three Vande Bharat Express trains at KSR Railway Station in Bengaluru. At around 1 pm, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of urban connectivity projects in Bengaluru. He will also address a public function. The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the Bangalore Metro Phase-3 project worth over Rs 15,610 crore. The total route length of the project will be more than 44 km with 31 elevated stations. This infrastructure project will address the growing transportation needs of the city, catering to residential, industrial, commercial and educational areas.
Source link
