Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stated on Sunday that the state government was responsible for 80 to 90 per cent of the Bengaluru Metro Rail project's cost, meaning the centre had very little involvement in the project. He claimed that out of respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government asked him to open the Bengaluru Metro Rail's Yellow Line from RV Road to Electronic City.
"Today Yellow Line has been inaugurated. 80 per cent of the project cost has been contributed by the state government, and 20 per cent was borne by the BJP government at the Centre. In some places, the Centre has spent only 11 per cent," Shivakumar told reporters as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Yellow Line of Bengaluru Metro at RV Road Metro Station.
"Centre has fully neglected Karnataka, but to respect Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we requested him to inaugurate the Metro Yellow Line,” Shivakumar said. According to him, Karnataka state government gave money for the land acquisition and infrastructure.
The Centre did not provide funding, even though it was expected to cover half of the project's expenses. "However, we built metro rail till the electronic city for the honour of Bengaluru, the state capital of Karnataka, which generates huge tax for the Centre, where nearly 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh new jobs are created every year and techies from across the country come here seeking job," Shivakumar said.
According to the Deputy Chief Minister, Manmohan Singh oversaw the construction of the flyover in Electronic City. He also expressed gratitude to Infosys, Biocon, Delta, and other donors for their financial contributions towards the construction of Metro stations.
"Some BJP people are projecting that the Metro Rail was a Central government project, but the Centre has done nothing. No MP gave a penny or any cooperation for the Metro Rail project in Bengaluru. It is a matter of shame for all the MPs of Karnataka,” he charged.
According to Shivakumar, Karnataka was not assisted by the Centre in obtaining funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The Deputy Chief Minister urged Modi to provide Bengaluru with the same amount of Rs 1 lakh crore as the national capital, Delhi, "because this is the second highest tax generating city in the country," claiming that the Centre had not provided enough money for the city's infrastructure.
"I am going to give a representation to him (Modi). I am requesting him not to ignore Bengaluru. Treat it like the national capital," Shivakumar said. He claimed that the Centre has contributed a 20 per cent share in the Ahmedabad infrastructure project, but in Bengaluru, it has given only 10 per cent, which is a well-documented fact.
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"I don’t want to indulge in politics and there is no need for it but I am bringing this to his (Modi’s) notice. MPs must set aside politics and bring central grants to serve people,” the Deputy CM said.
"This is not a service to just post things in social media with photographs and get coverage in the newspapers," he said, sarcastically addressing the Bengaluru MPs. "Your conscience ought to agree. "That's how you should work," Shivakumar said.
Shivakumar responded that no one was involved in the BJP's allegation that Modi gave Bengaluru Metro Rail. He asserted that when the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the nation's prime minister, the late SM Krishna, a former Congress chief minister, initiated the Metro Rail project.
"Let them (BJP leaders) release their statistics to show how much money they gave for the metro project, and I will also reveal our data," he said. The ruling Congress and opposition BJP in Karnataka have locked horns over the Metro Yellow Line. Congress is claiming that the state government made the project happen, while the BJP said the Centre has contributed to the Metro Line.
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