Centre to bear escalated cost of Bangalore Metro

Kempegowda Bus Station to be remodelled into a world class bus terminus

Speaking after inaugurating the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) constructed Traffic and Transit Management Centre (TTMC) at Kengeri here, Reddy said: “From an estimated Rs 10,000 crore, the cost of the project has escalated to Rs 11,609 crore after revised estimates. The Ministry of Urban Development, a stake holder in the project, has accorded clearance to bear the additional cost.”

He added that the Centre has also sanctioned Rs 58,000 crore of its own funds from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) scheme during the last four and half years, while local, civic bodies and various State Governments have put in an equal amount for providing and improving basic urban projects, other than Metro and transport infrastructure.

“This makes it a total of Rs 1.16 lakh crore granted, of which 90 percent has been spent in urban areas alone. You cannot avoid urbanisation. In the modern age, urbanisation is unavoidable. At the time of independence, less than 15 percent of people were living in urban areas. This figure has gone up to 30 percent in 2010 and is projected to exceed to more than 50 percent by 2050,” the minister said, and observed that he was happy that State governments have been responding in a positive manner.

“We have funded 1,000 BMTC buses in Bangalore. Initially the Centre was not keen to fund projects such as TTMC’s but due to importance accorded to mass transportation by States like Karnataka, funding was granted under JnNURM,” added Reddy.

Remodelling KBS

In his address, Transport Minister R Ashok said seven to eight companies have evinced interest to construct a new mega bus terminus at Majestic (Kempegowda Bus Station) at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore.

“This is proposed under a public-private-partnership (PPP) model. It would be remodelled into a world class bus-station and will be a major city landmark,” Ashok said.

He also added that BMTC Volvo buses plying on the airport and IT sector routes were raking in profits. Very soon, KSRTC will have Mercedes Benz buses ply on the Bangalore-Mysore route, he said.

Kengeri TTMC has been constructed at a cost of Rs 40 crore utilising funds from the JnNURM Scheme. The Centre has funded 35 percent of the cost while the State has chipped in 15 percent and BMTC 50 percent.

Nine more TTMCs or new bus stations are being constructed at Shantinagar, Koramangala, Whitefield, Vijayanagar, Banashankari, Yeshwant-pura, Domlur and Bannerg-hatta.

These are slated for completion in the next three to four months.