Modi inaugurates new section of Bengaluru Metro, takes operational length over 100 km

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new section of Bengaluru’s Metro network on Friday, taking its operational length beyond 100 km, at an event that brought together political leaders who spent the preceding day disputing how much the state and federal governments were paying for the city’s expanding transport system.The inauguration came amid a dispute over Metro funding.The 7.5-km elevated section of the Pink Line, built at ₹3,470 crore, connects Kalena Agrahara in south Bengaluru to SG Palya along Bannerghatta Road. Its opening, with passenger services scheduled to begin on Saturday, was accompanied by the launch of a Vande Bharat train linking Bengaluru with coastal Karnataka and Goa.Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, who challenged the state’s account of Metro expenditure on Thursday, were present at the launch. At SG Palya station, Modi called Shivakumar, who was standing some distance away, to join him for the inauguration. He took Shivakumar by the hand and brought him alongside before the two leaders waved the green flag. Modi subsequently handed the flag to Governor Sudha Yadav.Modi bought a ticket at the station counter and boarded a train to IIM Bangalore station, accompanied by Shivakumar, Yadav, state minister Krishna Byre Gowda and Surya. During the journey, he spoke with Gowda and was seen laughing with Shivakumar.The inauguration came amid a dispute over Metro funding, with Gowda claiming on Wednesday that Karnataka had borne ₹65,291 crore, or 83.8%, of the ₹77,891 crore expenditure on Phases 1, 2, 2A, 2B and the estimated cost of Phase 3, leaving the Union government with 16.2%. Surya disputed the figures a day later, putting the Union government’s share at 53.35% and the state’s at 46.65%, arguing that foreign loans raised by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited with a sovereign guarantee from the Union government should not be counted as Karnataka’s contribution.Modi, in his address at the launch, said better transport connections could help businesses expand, create jobs and extend the benefits of development to poorer households.“Better connectivity creates new opportunities for progress, employment and industry. And when these development opportunities reach every section of society, the fight against poverty also grows stronger. This is why nearly 500 million citizens of the country have emerged from extreme poverty in recent years,” he said.He said the projects being launched in Karnataka would advance both the state’s development and India’s ambitions. “The project launching today will further this development journey. This will give new impetus to the creation of a developed Karnataka and from a developed Karnataka, a developed India,” he said.Modi said the new Metro section will connect educational institutions and major business, technology and commercial centres. He added that it would strengthen Bengaluru’s identity as a technology hub.Shivakumar said Karnataka intended to expand its Metro network to at least 500 km. “The hard work of thousands of engineers and workers has contributed to this great city. We have completed more than 103 km of this line. I think we are planning to have at least 500 km,” he said.Gowda said the city’s growing transport requirements would require continued cooperation between the state and the Union government. “Bengaluru’s mobility needs are growing, and meeting them requires a shared commitment from both the state and the Centre. We will continue to push for a faster, more expansive Metro network for a better-connected Bengaluru,” he said.