Karnataka CM Alleges State Pays 90% of Metro Costs, Not 50% As Agreed With Centre.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday celebrated the inauguration of Bengaluru's Yellow Line Metro and the commencement of Phase-3 works as a significant step in the city's battle against traffic. However, he was quick to emphasize that the state had borne the majority of the project's costs, despite an agreed-upon 50:50 cost-sharing model with the Centre.

Speaking at the inauguration event, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Siddaramaiah expressed his gratitude for the Union government's contribution to the Bengaluru Metro project. Yet, he also used the occasion to point out the financial discrepancy, noting that the state has historically covered a disproportionate share of the funding.

With the Yellow Line expected to boost daily ridership to 12.5 lakh, the Chief Minister projected that the planned expansions under Phases 3 and 4 could see ridership soar to 30 lakh per day by 2030. This, he noted, is contingent on the Centre clearing the state's pending proposals for these projects.

The event, a major milestone for the city's infrastructure, also included the foundation stone laying for the J.P. Nagar 4th Phase and the flagging off of new Vande Bharat trains.