Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 29 : BJP leader and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday slammed Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, accusing him of rejecting key public transport proposals while pushing an "extremely costly" 18-kilometre Tunnel Road project, which he dubbed a "matrimonial project".
"The Deputy Chief Minister has rejected all of our proposals, and he said that he doesn't find our proposal to increase Metro -- make Bengaluru a 300-kilometre Metro with a three-minute frequency city -- as a viable solution. He has not given strength to our vision of a 314-kilometre suburban rail. Together, this 600-kilometre rail-based backbone can take around 60 to 65 lakh people every day," Tejasvi Surya said.
"We have proposed to strengthen BMTC and start small private buses that can go even into the smaller areas and roads of Bengaluru. That has not been given heed. He, however, has said that the only solution, like a magic wand, to solve all of Bengaluru's traffic problems is this 18-kilometre, extremely costly Tunnel Road project," he added.
The BJP MP further claimed, "Till yesterday, I was under the impression that the state government wanted to build this Tunnel Road to solve Bengaluru's traffic. But only yesterday, I learned that this is actually a matrimonial project, where the government is building this infrastructure so that those who have cars, and those who don't have cars, can buy cars and then get a bride."
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya termed the 18-km Tunnel Road a "matrimonial project", alleging it aims to help people buy cars to "get a bride" rather than solve traffic woes.
"Today in Bengaluru, 45 lakh people travel in BMTC buses, and 10 lakh people travel in Metro every single day. Are they not getting brides? Are they not starting families? Don't they have social status? I thought the state government wanted to start this project to solve the city's traffic problem, because that was their original claim. But after yesterday's meeting, I learned it is a matrimonial project. But this is an extremely costly project that will be a disaster for the city's environment, the city's geology, and the city's hydrology," Tejasvi Surya said.
Surya further said the Centre will support sustainable public transport projects, including suburban rail, Metro, PRR & BMTC fleet expansion. He said 5,700 e-buses to be added under central funds, announces HD Kumaraswamy, but he said that there will be no support for "unreasonable, unscientific vanity projects".
We have said that the central government will support all sustainable public transport projects, such as suburban rail, the Metro, the PRR, and projects that increase the BMTC fleet. H.D. Kumaraswamy, the Minister from our state, very recently announced that close to 5,700 additional e-buses will be made available to Bengaluru. All of this is funded by the central government. The central government will not support unreasonable, unscientific vanity projects. We will wholeheartedly support sustainable, environmentally friendly projects.
Tejasvi Surya has strongly opposed the proposed Bengaluru Tunnel Road project, arguing that it poses grave environmental and heritage threats while offering little public benefit.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reacted to BJP MP Tejasvi Surya's objections over the proposed Bengaluru tunnel road project, saying suggestions are welcome, but the Centre must provide financial support.
Reacting to his meeting with BJP MP Tejasvi Surya earlier in the day, during which the latter proposed alternatives to the tunnel road project, Shivakumar said that decisions must align with funding availability.
The Karnataka Deputy CM said, "He gave a few suggestions. He said instead of a tunnel road, a Metro line should be built. We are already working on Metro construction -- but we need funds too, right?"