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Centre extends funds worth ₹14,788 crore for Bengaluru metro in Budget 2021
Only one phase of the metro is operational in Bengaluru and delays in completing subsequent phases has added to escalating costs and increased dependence on private transport.
The Union government on Monday decided to extend funds worth ₹14,788 crore to construct 58.19 km of metro rail in Bengaluru city.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget said that Central funding will be provided to Phase 2A and 2B of the Bengaluru metro rail.
The funding announcement came even as all on-going phases of metro rail project in Bengaluru continues to be delayed on account of slow progress of work.
Phase 2A is the 18.23 km long elevated line that proposes to connect KR Puram and the Central Silk Board along the outer ring road (ORR) which is one of the busiest and most congested stretches in Bengaluru. The route also houses a significant number of technology and other corporations along the ORR which witnesses some of the worst traffic jams in Bengaluru. Phase 2B connects KR Puram to Bengaluru airport, extending about 37 km.
With over 8.5 million vehicles and over 10 million people spread across over 820 square kilometres, Bengaluru has struggled to cope with rapid and unplanned growth. Crumbling and inadequate public infrastructure has added to the problems of the city where quality of life has declined in recent years due to rise in pollution, steady erosion of green cover, illegal encroachments of lakes, rise in construction activity and other factors.
Only one phase of the metro is operational and delays in completing subsequent phases has added to escalating costs and increased dependence on private transport.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in December last year approved a $500 million (about ₹3,685 crore) loan for Phase 2A and 2B.
The Union government also said that the 278 km Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway work will be initiated in the current fiscal and construction will begin in 2021-22.
