Bengaluru: Development Of Suburban Rail Faces Uncertainty With Meagre Budget Allocation

In what may disappoint many in India’s Silicon city, the Bengaluru suburban rail project has received only Rs 10 crore allocation in the latest budget funding for the South Western Railway, reports Deccan Herald.

The low allocation, same as the interim budget in February, came despite Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi and Bangalore Central MP P C Mohan’s promise to meet the ministers concerned to give the much-needed push to the project.

However, with serious political turmoil and the coalition government of Janata Dal Secular and Congress teetering on the brink of collapse, the amount allocated, signals that the project is unlikely to go forward this year. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) however, is to be setup for the project.

The SWR Chief Public Relations Officer E Vijaya, however, said total budget grants to the SWR for new lines and doubling, including extra-budgetary support, was Rs 480 crore and Rs 823 crore, respectively.