Centre urged to clear suburban rail for city

The service exists in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata

BJP General Secretary and Lok Sabha member Ananth Kumar today asked the Union Government to clear Karnataka government's proposal for implementing suburban rail service project for Bangalore. Expressing surprise over a reported statement of Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge on the "lack of a concrete" proposal from the state government on the project, Kumar said the previous (BJP) government had "relentlessly" pursued the issue with the Centre.

In a letter to Kharge, Kumar, Bangalore South MP, noted that Karnataka was the first state to take steps for speedy implementation of railway projects by contributing 50 per cent of the cost. Pointing out that Rs 1,021 crore had been released for the railway projects as the state's share, he requested the Ministry of Railways to participate and collaborate with Karnataka government in the successful implementation of the suburban rail service project. Kumar said Bangalore attracts lakhs of people from all over the country apart from which citizens commute on a daily basis between different corners in Bangalore and therefore it was but necessary to introduce suburban rail system on the lines of the existing service in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata.