Bangalore Metro to be inaugurated today

Bangalore Metro to be inaugurated today
Deccan Herald

Namma Metro may be intended to be every Bangalorean’s metro, but on the eve of its formal inauguration on Friday, the laurels are being grabbed by political parties.

Posters of the smiling Congress Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and beaming JD(S) Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and BJP Deputy Chief Minister Yediyurappa vied for eyeballs on major roads like M G Road and Airport Road, complete with the Bangalore Metro logo printed underneath.

Though the final clearance was given by Congress dominated UPA government, it came during JD(S)-BJP rule in the State, giving enough reason for JD(S) and BJP to cheer.

While Saturday’s bhoomi pooja seem to validate Kumaraswamy’s assertion that he is “serious about the metro project,” the BJP too is seeking its share of fame.

“The idea of introducing a metrorail for Bangalore was initiated by NDA government. Rs 1.5 crore of the 2.5 crore allocation for detailed project report in 2002 was financed by the then-Union Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar. In fact, Mr Kumar has consistently insisted on introducing Bangalore Metro in all public functions,” said a BJP spokesperson.

Political wranglings

Going by this sudden collective front, it would be hard to believe that the mass rapid transport project was in the pipeline for nearly 24 years due to political wranglings over the project.

In 1982, a study was taken up to note the future traffic needs of the City, but no action was taken on the same. In the early 1990s, the Bangalore Metro Rail Transport Limited (BMRTL) was formed to look into the possibility of having the Elevated Light Rail Transport System (ELRTS) in Bangalore. This plan too was given up.

In 2002, RITES was invited to choose a MRTS for Bangalore. RITES concluded that a metro rail network, in the lines of Delhi Metro, would be ideal for Bangalore.

The Bangalore Metro Rail finally took shape, with the Karnataka Government clearing the project in March, 2005.

Mono over Metro

However, doubts over the implementation of the project lingered, with the JD(S) promoting monorail over metro rail during the tenure of the JD(S)-Congress coalition. JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda wrote several letters to the then-Chief Minister Dharam Singh questioning the viability and funding aspects of the project.

Mixed signals

Soon after the formation of the JD(S)-BJP government, mixed signals were sent when Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy shunted out Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation K N Shrivastava weeks before the project’s union cabinet clearance was due.

Finally, the Union government gave its approval in April, 2006 and brought the Bangalore Metro back in track.