Centre ready to sanction high-speed rail link

Kamal Nath, Union Minister for Urban Development, on Thursday promised a speedy clearance for the second phase of the Bangalore Metro and asked the state government to send the formal proposal for the same.

“The proposal to extend the Namma Metro to another 72 kms in the second phase at an investment of Rs 23,800 crore is before the state government. As and when they send the proposal to us (Centre), the clearance will be accorded. We are also ready to sanction the Rs 6,000 crore high speed rail link covering 34 kms from the city centre to the international airport,” Kamal Nath said.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the first line of Bangalore Metro, here after flagging off the metro train, he said the UPA government plans to develop metro projects in all cities with a population of over 3 million. Presently, the detailed project reports are being prepared for many cities, he said.

He said, the Centre is giving a thrust to development of suburban and satellite towns. The Centre has sanctioned financial assistance in terms of water supply, sewage and waste management to Kanakapura town on the city outskirts.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has already prepared the detailed project report for the second phase of Namma Metro and the proposal is awaiting the state cabinet approval. The second phase will provide connectivity to key suburbs of Bangalore like electronic city, Whitefield and Indian Institute of Management among others.

D V Sadananda Gowda, chief minister of Karnataka said the state cabinet would clear the proposal very soon and send the formal request to the Centre at the earliest. The state government was also mulling over the idea of forming a separate board for metro projects, he said.

Presently, the first phase of Namma Metro is being executed at a cost of Rs 11,609 crore. The 42.3 km project is split into two corridors - east-west corridor for 18.1 kms and north-south corridor for 24.2 kms. The construction is scheduled to be completed by December 2013.

Gowda said Japan International Cooperation Agency has extended a loan of ¥64 billion (Rs 2,850 crore) to the Namma Metro project.

Commenting on the first ride in Namma Metro, Akitaka Saiki, Japanese Ambassador, said, “It was a wonderful, beautiful and very smooth ride. It was like the rush hour ride in Tokyo”.