HDK told to expedite suburban rail project

BJP Member of Parliament PC Mohan has urged Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to expedite the process to set up the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to implement the suburban rail network.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Mohan pointed out that the government has fallen behind the one-month deadline issued by the Chief Mihnister to set up the SPV and the rail project has been stranded for quite some time.

“For more than seven months, the proposal has been pending before the state government despite the centre sanctioning Rs 12,061 crore for the project,” he stated in his letter.

Though state government officials confirmed to DH that a high-level committee comprising of senior bureaucrats took place to decide on the SPV, they refused to divulge the details of the meeting.

The Citizen for Bengaluru has also called for a press conference where suburban rail project and other issues is said to be on the agenda.

“The Union government accorded its in-principle approval to the proposal sent by the state government to make changes in the shareholding pattern of the Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Ltd clearing all obstacles for setting up the SPV. However, there seems to be no action in this regard,” Mohan said.

Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar assured DH that the process to set up the SPV is underway.

“The state cabinet will soon take a call on its composition,” he said. “Subsequently, work on the rail project will begin.”