Centre to finance Metro Rail Project

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, SEPT. 23. The Union Minister for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Ananth Kumar, said here on Sunday that he would meet the Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, on Monday to discuss the implementation of the proposed Metro Rail Project in the City.

Speaking after inaugurating the Sunkenahalli multi- purpose Indoor Sports Stadium at Basavanagudi, Mr. Kumar said that on its implementation, the Metro Rail Project would cut down the number of vehicles in the City by 40 per cent. The metro rail system was necessary for Bangalore since the city was being considered as the ``most haunted'' place by IT professionals in the world.

According to the project report prepared by the RITES, the work on the metro rail system could be completed within five years at an estimated cost of Rs. 960 crores. The project would not cause any financial burden to the State Government as the Centre would provide adequate financial assistance, he said.

The project report said that the State Government would have to extend financial assistance only for setting up 64 sub-stations and signalling facilities. The existing railway tracks in Yeshwanthpur, Krishnarajapuram, Kengeri, and Yelahanka could be utilised for the metro rail system also, he said.

The minister suggested that multi-purpose stadia be built in all wards of the city for the benefit of sports enthusiasts. Such a system existed in Delhi. If the State Government submitted a proposal for building stadia, the Centre would offer financial assistance, he added.

Encroachers warned

Mr. Kumar warned of stern action against those who encroached upon public places such as railway stations, parks and roads. The Government would recover its land from land grabbers, he said and pointed out that the Delhi Government had razed over 517 illegal structures that had come up in public places.

The work on the Sunkenahalli stadium, built at a cost of Rs. 56 lakhs, began in 1998. The stadium has a badminton court on the ground floor and a gymnasium and a table tennis court on the first floor. The original estimate for the project was Rs. 25 lakhs. The project has been implemented by the Engineering Department of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP).

The Mayor, Ms. Prema Cariappa, Mr. P. N. Sadashiva, area corporator, Mr. K. N. Subba Reddy, Basavangudi MLA, the Opposition Leader in the BMP Council, Mr. S. K. Nataraj, and Mr. B. V. Ganesh, Chamarajpet corporator, were present.

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