Metro Phase 1 to be fully ready by June, says Siddaramaiah

BENGALURU: The entire Phase 1 of Namma Metro will commence operations in June and will have a ridership of 5 lakh, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday.

After inaugurating the supply of free drinking water to slum dwellers in Srirampura organised by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the Chief Minister elaborated on the steps taken by the state government to ease the transportation woes in the City.

“Bengaluru presently has 65 lakh vehicles. The 42.3 km Phase 1 built at a cost of nearly `13,600 crore is nearing completion. At present, Metro carries nearly 2 lakh passengers and it will be able to carry 5 lakh passengers when it begins full operations in June,” he said. Work on Metro Phase 2 which is estimated to cost `26,000 crore has already begun, he said.

“We have inducted 1,000 new buses into BMTC to improve the travelling experience of Bengalureans,” he said. The government was also looking at circuit rail as an option to ease travel woes and discussions were held with the Railway Minister during his recent visit to the city, Siddaramaiah said.  

As announced in this year’s state budget, BWSSB will provide 10,000 litres of drinking water free of cost to 70,497 slum households in the city. “If the water consumed by a family crosses this quantum of water, then they have to pay water bill,” said BWSSB Engineer-in-Chief, BWSSB, Kemparamaiah. 

The Chief Minister said, “The government has not only waived off arrears and interest to paid by slum dwellers to the water department which had accumulated to B40 crore but have also given them free water.”