Bengaluru Metro's growth a victory over traffic jams, says BJP MP Surya; thanks PM Modi

Bengaluru: Bengaluru South BJP MP, Tejasvi Surya, on Friday said every expansion of the Metro network in Bengaluru was a victory over the city's traffic congestion, as he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving a major thrust to public transport and infrastructure development in Karnataka.

Delivering the welcome address at a programme attended by Prime Minister Modi at the IIM-Bangalore campus, Surya said the Prime Minister's visits to Karnataka were occasions of celebration as they were often marked by the inauguration of major development projects.

"This time too, you have come to inaugurate the Pink Line Metro," he said.

Surya said Bengaluru's Metro network was just 7 km in 2014 and had now crossed the 100-km milestone, reaching 103 km under PM Modi's leadership. He said the expansion was significant for a city grappling with severe traffic congestion.

"In a city like Bengaluru, which suffers from traffic congestion, every Metro line is a victory against traffic jams," he said.

The BJP MP said Bengaluru was eagerly looking forward to the Prime Minister returning next year to inaugurate the Airport Metro line and, subsequently, the first corridor of the Bengaluru Suburban Railway.

He also thanked PM Modi for strengthening railway connectivity in Karnataka, stating that the Prime Minister's leadership had brought 12 Vande Bharat trains to the state.

PM Modi flagged off the 13th Vande Bharat service connecting Bengaluru to Goa via Mangaluru on Friday, he said.

Surya added that railway allocation to Karnataka had increased by 9.5 times over the past decade and that 98 per cent of the state's railway network had been electrified.

Highlighting another major project, Surya said the foundation stone for Karnataka's first Compressed Biogas plant was laid in Bengaluru South under the Swachh Bharat Urban Fund.

He said the project would provide relief to residents of Bommanahalli, who had faced problems for nearly four decades due to the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) waste processing plant.

According to Surya, the plant received between 400 and 500 metric tonnes of waste every day, while the foul smell from the facility affected areas within a radius of three to four kilometres. The dumping of waste had also led to concerns about groundwater contamination, he said.

Recalling an earlier protest, Surya said schoolchildren had taken out a procession to the then Chief Minister in 2008 demanding the closure of the KCDC plant, but the issue had remained unresolved.

"Today, under the Swachh Bharat Urban Fund, the Prime Minister is laying the foundation stone for a Rs 166-crore Compressed Biogas plant, which will transform the quality of life of people in the area," he said.

The proposed plant will process around 300 metric tonnes of wet waste daily and produce the equivalent of cooking gas for around 25,000 households, besides generating organic manure for farmers, he said. The project would also help save foreign exchange otherwise spent on importing conventional fuels, Surya added.

The Bengaluru South MP said the city had seized the opportunities created by the government's policies and emerged as an important partner in building a new India.

He said the opening up of the space sector to private participation had enabled start-ups in Bengaluru to build rockets and satellites. The city was also manufacturing iPhones for global markets and producing the Tejas fighter aircraft, he added.

"The spirit of New India is the spirit of Bengaluru," Surya said.

Looking ahead to 2037, when Bengaluru will mark 500 years since its founding by Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, Surya said the city aspired to become one of the world's top 10 most liveable cities.

He said Bengaluru and Karnataka would remain strong partners in India's journey of development.

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