Tejasvi Surya calls BMRCL's plan to extend metro service to Tumakuru an 'urban planning nightmare'
Bengaluru (PTI): Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Monday expressed reservations over extending metro service to Tumakuru, terming it an "urban planning nightmare" and criticising the Congress government in Karnataka for the "exorbitant" cost involved in the project.
His remarks came a day after Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) floated tenders to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 59.6-km corridor from Madavara in Bengaluru to Tumakuru, estimated to cost Rs 20,896 crore.
Sharing a news report on his official 'X' account regarding the same, Surya said, "Tumakuru needs world class connectivity to Bengaluru. No doubt. But is Metro the right option?" He claimed that building a metro to Tumakuru is an "urban planning nightmare".
"The exorbitant cost involved in building it just does not make sense - this is what we have suburban trains for. But instead of developing the long-pending suburban rail and improving connectivity to Tumakuru, the Congress govt once again wants to spend crores on preparing a DPR for a metro project that will take years and years to see fulfilment," Surya said.
"The metro's average operating speed is around 34 km/hr, making it similar to a bus for long inter-city journeys," he added.
"Congress govt is repeatedly getting the fundamentals wrong - from tunnel roads to inter-city metro proposals, these arbitrary and ill-considered decisions are denying citizens basic civic amenities. Hope Congress soon snaps out of such illogical ideas," he added.
Tumakuru needs world class connectivity to Bengaluru. No doubt. But is Metro the right option?
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) November 17, 2025
Building a metro to Tumakuru is an urban planning nightmare. The exorbitant cost involved to build it just does not make sense - this is what we have suburban trains for.
But instead… pic.twitter.com/4uqJ1jQs1z
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
