Global tender will be called for Bengaluru tunnel road: DCM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, May 22 (PTI): Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to call global tender for tunnel road project in Bengaluru, which is estimated to cost about Rs 17,780 crore, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Thursday.
As a minister in-charge for Bengaluru Development, Shivakumar after the cabinet meeting said, "It has been decided to call a tender for the tunnel road. Chief Minister has been authorised to decide on whether to go for a hybrid model or other model. The Chief Minister and I will decide on it technically. It will be a global tender. The estimated cost is Rs 17,780 crore."
The twin tunnel will run from Hebbal's Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board Junction, covering 16.745 km.
It will feature three main carriageways along with two or three-lane entry and exit ramps, officials said.
The cabinet has also approved the revised project cost of Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase-II from Rs 26,405.14 crore to Rs 40,425.02 crore.
Officials said, the estimate has been revised as the length of the metro line has been increased from 72.09 km to 75.06 km, also due to increase in cost and area of land acquisition, increase in guideline rate of land and increase in cost of civil works.
It has also been decided by the cabinet to waive off the entire interest amount for all such associations or organisations which have been allotted Civic Amenity Sites from the Bengaluru Development Authority, if they pay the entire lease amount to the authority within 120 days, Shivakumar said.
He said, this is being done by relaxing the provisions of Bangalore Development Authority (Allotment of Civic Amenity Sites) Rules, 1989, as a special case and as a one-time measure.
Shivakumar said, a new garbage collection and disposal plan is being devised for Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 4,791 crore for a period of 7 years.
"Earlier, during the BJP regime, 98 package tenders were called for garbage disposal. Some people approached the court regarding this issue, and the court dismissed their petition and ruled to take a final decision on this tender in the next four months. We have decided to make one package in each area, and garbage disposal will be done through 33 packages, including two packages in large areas," he said.
The tender for this will be called soon, he said. "A garbage disposal plan at a cost of Rs 4,791 crore for a period of 7 years is being prepared. There are enough differences between the existing system and the new system. Many responsibilities including garbage segregation, vehicle responsibility, and building waste segregation will be given."
The cabinet approved "Arbitration and Conciliation Centre (Amendment) Rules, 2025".
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said, "This will allow increasing fees. Earlier, it was fixed 13 years ago".
The cabinet decided not to permit sanction for prosecution against former chairman and 8 former members of Karnataka Public Service Commission for alleged irregularities in 2011 batch Gazetted Probationers Recruitment.
"We have decided to close this matter, as the cabinet has already decided and a law was enacted stating that the selection of 48 Assistant Commissioners and other probationers in 2011 was proper," Patil said.
Administrative approval was granted to purchase and supply 2 MRI scan machines for two district hospitals of Mysuru and Davangere at a total cost of Rs.30 crore under the ECRP-II grant under the National Health Mission's Free Diagnostic Services Program.
Approval was given for the state government to give guarantee to Karnataka State Co-operative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank, Bengaluru for availing NABARD re-finance of Rs1600 crore during the year 2025-26.
It was also decided to reject the recommendation made by Lokayukta to entrust Departmental Enquiry against Bharat Lal Meena, Rtd. IAS, the then Commissioner, Bangalore Development Authority and PB Ramamurthy, Retired IAS, the then Chairman, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board under Section 12(3) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
