The Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company Limited (K-RIDE) tasked with implementing the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP) recently signed a loan agreement of Rs 4,500 crore. K-RIDE is a joint venture between the Union and Karnataka governments. The loan will be granted by Germany-based KFW Development Bank.
Industries Minister M B Patil announced that officials from the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Government of Karnataka signed the agreement with the German bank.
Patil said the total cost of the BSRP would be around Rs 7,438 crore. “The BSRP will be an eco-friendly transportation system similar to the Bengaluru Metro, facilitating convenient and accessible transportation for the district and surrounding populace,” the minister noted.
The much-delayed project is being implemented along four corridors – Sampige, Mallige, Parijaata, and Kanaka. The Sampige corridor is between Kempegowda railway station and Devanahalli – spanning 41.4 km and 15 stations, Mallige between Baiyappanahalli terminal and Chikkabanavara – 25 km and 14 stations, Parijaata between Kengeri and Whitefield – 35.52 km and nine stations, and Kanaka between Heelalige and Rajankunte – 46.24 km and 19 stations.
K-RIDE, it can be recalled, has come under fire from transport activists due to the delay in implementation. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set a deadline of 40 months to complete the project last year, the progress of the works has been slow. The transport body is also hit by the absence of a full-time managing director, which according to activists has been one of the main reasons for the delay in the progress of suburban rail works.
Last month, the Karnataka government posted N Manjula as the MD. She is also concurrently serving as the secretary to the Kannada and Culture Department.
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