Tejasvi Surya, Krishna Byre Gowda spar over Namma Metro funding ahead of Pink Line inauguration

A day after Karnataka and the Union government sparred over funding for Namma Metro, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday, November 12, disputed the state government's claims, saying the Union government accounts for 53.35% of the total approved project cost, against Karnataka's 46.65%.

The exchange came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inauguration of the 7.5-km elevated stretch of the Pink Line, between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, on Friday. The section has been built at a cost of around Rs 3,470 crore.

Surya released a presentation titled 'Fact Check on Congress Government's Claims Regarding Namma Metro', citing BMRCL's approved funding plan for Phases 1 to 3. He said the Union government's contribution stood at Rs 41,558 crore of the total Rs 77,890.68 crore, while Karnataka's share was Rs 36,333 crore.

He attributed the difference between the two governments' figures to foreign loans worth Rs 28,958 crore. While BMRCL's funding plan classified these loans under the Union government's contribution, the State government had attributed them to Karnataka, resulting in the 84:16 funding ratio, he said.

Surya also said BMRCL was a joint venture equally owned by the Union government and the State, with both holding 50% equity.

Meanwhile, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Thursday alleged that his speech had been dropped from the final programme for the Pink Line inauguration. In a post on X, he said his address had been included in the draft schedule but was omitted from the final version.

“Reward for seeking justice for Karnataka... my speech cut,” Gowda said, adding that the State was being punished for demanding its rightful share in funding from the Union government. He did not name anyone responsible for the alleged omission.

On Wednesday, Gowda had said Karnataka was bearing nearly 84% of the combined costs of Metro Phases 1, 2, 2A, 2B and the estimated expenditure on Phase 3, amounting to Rs 65,291 crore of the Rs 77,891-crore outlay. He had urged the Union government to increase its contribution and expedite pending project approvals.