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
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
