Bengaluru Metro services to restart soon, says Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday said Metro services in the city will be restarted soon, as normalcy is being restored in public life step by step.

"Despite Covid-19 pandemic normalcy in public life is being restored step by step. Taking all the necessary precautionary measures, Metro services will be restarted soon," Yediyurappa said.

Speaking to reporters here after naming a flyover in the heart of the city after revolutionary freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna, he said his government is committed for the all-round development of the state including Bengaluru.

Five months after its operations were halted due to Covid-19 lockdown, the Metro is yet to get clearance from the government for restarting operations.

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Officials have said that they are waiting for Unlock 4.0 guidelines (from September 1) from the Centre and hope to get approval for resuming operations in it.

They have also drawn a standard operating procedure (SOP) for restarting the service.

Yediyurappa said improving the basic infrastructure in Bengaluru is the government's goal and all the necessary measures are being taken to achieve it.

Paying more attention to Bengaluru's development is necessary for the state and country's financial progress, he said, adding that to resolve the traffic congestion issue in the city this flyover named after Sangolli Rayanna is helpful.

Sangolli Rayanna (1798-1831) was the army chief of the Kittur Kingdom ruled by Rani Chennamma and fought against the British who hanged him to death from a banyan tree near Nandagad in Belgaum district in 1831.