Explained: Why Karnataka is not enthusiastic about Bommasandra-Hosur metro line

South India’s first interstate metro project appears to be running into trouble over fears in Karnataka that the project would divert economic opportunities from Bengaluru to Hosur, an industrial hub in Tamil Nadu.On August 27, officials of Chennai Metro Rail Corporation met with their counterparts from the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to seek cooperation for the project’s implementation. But a day later, BMRCL officials clarified that nothing had been finalised, pointing out that the Detailed Feasibility Study Report is incomplete..The project in question is a 23-km line that would connect Bengaluru’s Bommasandra to Hosur in Tamil Nadu, with 12 stations and a depot planned along the route. The line - an extension of the Yellow Line connecting RV Road to Bommasandra - will be 11 km long in Tamil Nadu and 12 km long on the Karnataka side. The 18.82 km Yellow Line, expected to be operational by the end of this year, will enhance connectivity to southern Bengaluru, which has several major IT and ITeS companies.Although the project was first proposed in 2022, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs gave approval after Karnataka gave its assent to the project in June 2022, there are now rumblings of discontent on the Karnataka side in the wake of two recent developments.Two months ago, Tamil Nadu announced it would build a new international airport in Hosur, even as there has been talk in Bengaluru about the need for a new international airport, with BIAL’s exclusivity contract to end in 2033. Not only is Hosur an industrial hub, it is also closer to Bengaluru’s IT corridor which is located in south-eastern Bengaluru whereas the airport is in Devanahalli, 34 km to the north of the state capital. The fear is that a well-connected Hosur could not only undermine the need for a second airport in Bengaluru but also divert significant investments away from the city.Karnataka’s Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister, Priyank Kharge, has been vocal in his opposition to the project. In August 2023, as CMRL began the feasibility study process, Kharge stated that the interstate metro connectivity between Bommasandra and Hosur could be detrimental to Karnataka’s investment prospects. “The interstate metro connectivity between Bommasandra and Hosur will be counterproductive for Karnataka’s investment prospects. We cannot afford to lose human resources and investment opportunities, which have been our greatest strengths. We are not against any infrastructure project, but it is important we think of our state’s interests first. The government will respond to this accordingly,” he had said.The Bommasandra-Hosur metro line received the in-principle approval in 2022 from the Basavaraj Bommai led BJP government. He approved the proposal, allowing the Tamil Nadu government to conduct the study for the project. The metro line had strong backing from then Krishnagiri MP, A Chellakumar, who took it up with Bommai and raised the issue in the Lok Sabha. Chellakumar presented the idea to Bommai in March 2022 in the presence of Siddaramaiah, who was then the Leader of the Opposition Velmurugan K, former president of Hosur Small and Tiny Industries Association, said the metro would benefit both Bengaluru and Hosur since railways are limited due to most being passenger trains and do not guarantee timely transport. “Both Hosur and Bengaluru, which has in recent years developed into an industrial hub, are interdependent. A metro linking the city is necessary because currently everything is dependent on road connectivity. We are happy that the Tamil Nadu government has now seen Hosur's potential for developing its infrastructure,” he said. However, the Karnataka government might not be completely invested in the project because of the proposed Hosur airport, he said. “Adding metro connectivity could lead to people becoming less dependent on Bengaluru airport. Right now, all industries from Salem and Krishnagiri are dependent on the Bengaluru airport for export and import and to transport goods to other parts of India. So they may think that an airport here might affect Karnataka's revenue. Residents of Bengaluru who reside in areas like Silk Board may prefer to take Hosur flights,” he added. The approval for the metro project had prompted strong reactions from mobility activists. They urged the government to prioritise the suburban rail system by quadrupling the existing railway line till Attibele. Rajkumar Dugar, founder, Citizens for Citizens (C4C) and a railway activist, said a suburban rail line will be on par, if not better, than an interstate metro.“Metro is meant for intra-city decongestion not intercity. The average cost of underground and elevated metro is around Rs 500 crore per kilometre. Interstate metro throws up unique problems. Unfortunately, this border is very sensitive at certain times when there are issues between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. There are issues of water, there are issues of language.Will the audio and instructions be in Kannada or Tamil? These things are unnecessarily complicating matters,” said Rajkumar. He also said that extending the BSRP (Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project) would be cost-effective compared to the metro. "The cost of BSRP is working out to approximately Rs 100 crore per kilometre. The cost of extending this will be around 80% of that... So we're comparing it to the metro cost of Rs 500 crore per kilometre."“One of the reasons why the metro is being preferred to suburban rail is that unfortunately, our public representatives, the MPs and the MLAs, have a poor understanding of the suburban rail. The awareness level is poor and nothing is being done to increase it. The other aspect is the cost of BSRP and the metro. Maybe they want to put more focus on something which costs more, which is understandable, but why not give equal focus?” he added.