Centre to consider Bangalore Metro Phase-2, 3A proposals: Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
Bengaluru, May 23 (PTI): Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Power Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said the Centre will examine Bangalore Metro Phase-2 and 3A proposals after they receive approval from the Karnataka government.
He reviewed the progress of various urban initiatives in Bengaluru and urged the state government to prioritise legacy waste management and tap Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SSASCI) 2025-26 for Urban Reforms.
Expressing satisfaction over the progress of various missions, the Union Minister said the revised cost of Bangalore Metro Phase-2 project will be considered once the proposal is approved by the state cabinet.
"At present about 75 km of metro network is operational in Bengaluru and about 145 km of metro network is under construction. Recently, a few months back, the central government sanctioned 45 km of metro phase-3 network at a cost of Rs 15,600 crore," an official statement said.
According to the statement, the state government has submitted the proposal for Bangalore phase-3A, covering approximately 37 kms. The estimated cost is about Rs 28,400 crore.
The cost estimate of phase-3 A network needs to be examined by the expert agency. The Centre has already issued directions in this regard.
"The project will be sanctioned by the central government, once reply is received from the government of Karnataka," he said.
Khattar further urged the state government to address the issue of legacy waste management and promote reuse of water and sustainability.
He also emphasised allowing higher FAR (Floor Area Ratio) along mass transit corridors, which will reshape cities, reduce traffic congestion and improve use of public transport.
"During the discussion on fund requirement of the State, over and above the approved schemes of the Government of India, Union Minister encouraged the state to take up the reforms to claim the 50 years interest-free loan under the ‘Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SSASCI) 2025-26’," the statement added.
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Rahul Gandhi should've been allowed to quote Naravane's 'memoir' in LS: Sharad Pawar
Baramati (PTI): NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi should have been allowed in the Lok Sabha to quote from an unpublished "memoir" of former Army chief MM Naravane.
The controversy on the memoir, 'Four Stars of Destiny', centres on the events of the Indo-China stand-off in 2020.
A row erupted in the Lok Sabha on Monday after Gandhi sought to quote from the unpublished "memoir" of former Army chief Naravane, but Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with other BJP members, strongly opposed it and accused the Congress leader of "misleading" the House.
Pawar said Gandhi "should have been allowed" to speak on the subject in Parliament during the Budget session.
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"If the former Army chief has written something and if the leader of the opposition is saying something, then it is his (Gandhi's) right and he should have been given that opportunity," the Rajya Sabha member said at a press conference in Baramati.
He said that an atmosphere of suspicion should not prevail unnecessarily in the country.
"The former Army chief has written something in the book which shows there was some concerning situation. If a discussion had taken place in Parliament on the issue, people could have got a clear picture," Pawar said.
Though the book is unpublished, Gandhi held a copy of it and the Lok Sabha speaker asked to authenticate the copy, he noted. "Why was there opposition (to Gandhi) when the copy was authenticated?" Pawar asked.
Gandhi on Wednesday cited the unpublished "memoir" to claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not fulfil his responsibility during the India-China conflict in 2020 and passed the buck on to Naravane.
Addressing reporters in the premises of Parliament House complex, Gandhi held up Naravane's unpublished "memoir" and said he would like the youngsters in India to know that this 'book' exists despite the government claiming otherwise.
He said Naravane has written the full account of what happened in Ladakh.
Gandhi has also written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, lodging his strong protest over being disallowed from speaking in the House on a matter of national security and terming it a "blot on our democracy".
He has also said that it was for the first time in history that LoP was not allowed to speak on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address.
