Centre, state have share in metro project; serving people important, not credit: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 5 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said that both state and central governments hold shares in the metro projects, as he asserted that serving the people was more important than "credit politics".
Shivakumar, who is also the Minister in-charge for Bengaluru development, inspected the soon-to-be-launched Yellow line of "Namma Metro" (Bengaluru Metro).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Yellow Line on August 10.
"This is our metro. The CM and I had requested the PM to inaugurate the Yellow line and he has given the time now. This is not a project of the central government alone, the state too has 50 per cent share in the project. We are all serving the public." Shivakumar said in response to a question.
"The PM will inaugurate the Yellow line on August 10. The 19.15 km line with 16 stations was built at a cost of Rs 7,610 crore. A small programme will be organised at the auditorium in Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru. The PM, CM and the local legislators would travel in the inaugural trip of the train thereafter....We will submit an appeal to the PM on funds needed for the double decker project's land acquisition," he said.
Asked about the extension of the metro network and building more double-decker metro lines (road and metro corridor), Shivakumar said, "It would be nice if the MPs who are making a lot of noise got us some funds. The MPs don't speak a word on the funds, but are engaged in nitpicking. We have decided to build double decker metro lines for all metro lines in the future."
All the three Lok Sabha seats of Bengaluru are represented by BJP MPs.
The Commissionerate of Railway Safety gave the clearance for the Yellow line on July 31.
The Deputy CM hit out at Bengaluru South BJP Tejasvi Surya for alleging delay in opening the line for the service of the people.
"We can't rush through things like safety. Our MP is a young blood in a hurry and doesn't have any experience," he said.
Noting that three train sets have arrived for the Yellow line and the fourth set will come in August, Shivakumar said three trains will operate now at an interval of 25 minutes. The frequency would be increased to 10 minutes once more train sets arrive. This is a crucial line to link the IT hubs to the city.
Replying to a question on inauguration of Hebbal flyover's new loop, Shivakumar said it will be opened to the public before August 15 after taking CM's availability into consideration for the inaugural.
"The KR-Puram-City loop will be opened now and the Airport service road-City loop will be opened a little later. We are planning a new tunnel from Nagawara to Esteem Mall to agricultural university. This would be a 1.5 km tunnel and it is different from the larger tunnel road being planned," he said.
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K'taka remains central to Aequs' strategy, says min Patil amid row over firm's investment in TN
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Commerce and Industries Minister M B Patil on Monday asserted that Aequs continues to expand in the state and that its proposed investment in neighbouring Tamil Nadu was a business decision aimed at diversification, not a shift away from Karnataka.
Reacting to criticism on social media over reports that the Karnataka-based firm had signed a major investment deal in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district for setting up a specialised aerospace and defense manufacturing cluster, he said the state government was fully aware of the company's plans and remained confident about its long-term commitment to Karnataka.
"While we welcome every major investment in India, would like to clarify a few points," Patil said in a post on 'X'.
Aequs was significantly expanding its footprint within Karnataka, including a Rs 3,000 crore investment in Kolar for electronics manufacturing.
"Its recently approved Rs 1,500 crore ECMS project will also be grounded in the state. Karnataka remains central to its long-term strategy," he said.
Patil added that the government had prior knowledge of the TN proposal.
The government was already informed and aware that the TN investment is a business decision aimed at geographic diversification and de-risking operations, not a shift away from Karnataka.
"Healthy competition between states strengthens India's manufacturing ecosystem," he said.
Emphasising the state's focus on high-technology sectors, Patil said, "We remain committed to deepening Karnataka's leadership in aerospace and advanced manufacturing, and our engagement with industry partners is strong and ongoing."
The Aequs Group has pledged Rs 4,000 crore to bolster Tamil Nadu's aerospace manufacturing capabilities at the SIPCOT-Shoolagiri Industrial Park in Krishnagiri district.
The group proposes to establish a specialised aerospace and defense manufacturing cluster for the production of aircraft engines, gearbox components, and precision engineering parts. This initiative is expected to provide employment to 7,000 individuals.
