Tejasvi Surya bats for immediate opening of Nagasandra-Madavara metro line

Bengaluru: Bangalore South MP, LS Tejasvi Surya, on Tuesday urged the state government to write to the Centre for the immediate opening of the 3.14-km Nagasandra-Madavara metro line, which has received all statutory clearances. 

He noted that Karnataka's Urban Development Department (UDD) had yet to write to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for permission to open the long-delayed metro stretch. 

After receiving the communication from the state, the ministry will give the go-ahead for opening the line, he said. 

Separately, Surya said that he had also written to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, requesting the immediate opening of the line, with or without a formal ceremony. 

He also promised to speak to the union minister on Wednesday and request for expediting the process. 

Surya pointed out that the Green Line extension had taken more than 91 months to build as against the original deadline of 27 months. "When the line has already been delayed for so long, the government should not make the public wait anymore," he told DH. 

Surya stressed the need for focusing on public benefit over ceremonial VIP events and said the Green Line extension should be operationalised just like the Purple Line extensions last year. 

Built at a cost of Rs 298.65 crore, the elevated Green Line extension includes three stations at Manjunath Nagar, Chikkabidarakallu and Madavara. Its opening will expand the Bengaluru metro network to 76.95 km and help alleviate the severe traffic congestion on Tumakuru Road.