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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Traffic fraud: Fake 'no-entry' sticker racket busted in Delhi, mastermind among 3 held
New Delhi (PTI): Police here have busted a crime syndicate involved in traffic fraud and extortion, arresting three people including the alleged mastermind who sold fake stickers to help commercial vehicles bypass no-entry restrictions, an official said on Saturday.
The police said they dismantled a third organised syndicate linked to traffic-related frauds, with the arrest of Rinku Rana alias Bhushan, his associate Sonu Sharma and Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, who was also connected to another extortion syndicate.
According to the police, Rinku Rana was running a well-organised network that facilitated the movement of commercial goods vehicles during restricted hours by selling fake 'marka' or stickers for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per vehicle every month. The stickers were falsely projected as authorisation to evade traffic challans.
During raids, the police recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash, property documents worth several crores of rupees, over 500 fake stickers and six mobile phones allegedly used to operate the syndicate.
The crackdown followed a complaint filed by a traffic police officer in April this year after a commercial vehicle tried to evade checking by producing a fake sticker claiming exemption from enforcement action.
Investigation revealed that social media groups were being used to coordinate the illegal movement of vehicles and alert drivers about traffic police checkpoints, police said.
"A parallel system was being run to cheat drivers and vehicle owners while undermining traffic enforcement. On the basis of evidence, provisions related to organised crime under the BNS were invoked," a senior police officer said.
Sonu Sharma, the police said, managed social media groups through which stickers were sold and real-time alerts were circulated regarding traffic police movement. He also acted as a link between Rana and drivers operating in the field.
In a related development, Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, an associate of Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, who was earlier arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was also apprehended.
Mukesh allegedly helped extort money from transporters and was involved in blackmailing traffic police personnel by recording enforcement actions, the police said.
Investigators alleged the syndicate led by Rajkumar deployed drivers to deliberately violate traffic rules and secretly record police officials during challans, later using manipulated videos to extort money under threat of false allegations.
The police said that in total, eight accused belonging to three different organised crime syndicates linked to traffic frauds and extortion have been arrested so far.
Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members, conduct financial probes, and analyse digital evidence recovered during the raids, officials added.
