BJP To Oppose Rs 17,698 Crore Bengaluru Tunnel Road Project In Parliament, Assembly And Court: Tejasvi Surya

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday (29 October) said that the BJP would oppose the Bengaluru tunnel road project not only in the Lok Sabha and state Assembly but also through a petition in the Karnataka High Court, Indian Express reported.

Surya and several other leaders have criticised the tunnel road plan in recent weeks, questioning its purpose and impact on the city’s infrastructure.

Declaring complete party support for his stance, Surya said, "The BJP as a party, we are opposing it. We will 100 per cent oppose it in Lok Sabha and the state Assembly".

He added that the project was against the interests of the people and vowed to “fight it out in court and outside”.

Proposing alternatives, Surya suggested building tram lanes to link Bengaluru’s Metro corridors and urged a Singapore-style restriction to curb the unchecked rise in number of cars.

Sharing the presentation he made to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar a day earlier at a news conference, Surya said Shivakumar was not ready to listen to any alternative solutions to ease traffic congestion in the city.

According to Surya, his recommendations — including tram systems and other alternatives — were drafted after studying models in “eight to ten countries” and consulting “urban and transport experts".

"Since he (Shivakumar) thinks that a tunnel is the only solution, he is not considering any other," Surya told mediapersons.

Calling the tunnel a “car-only project,” Surya said Bengaluru should instead focus on strengthening public transport.

He proposed curbing vehicle licenses like Singapore to reduce congestion.

Responding to the criticism, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar said people of the city were “acknowledging that something is being done to ease congestion, due to the interest (of the government) in the project”.

"We are confident of doing it," he added.

Regarding Surya’s tram proposal, Shivakumar said there was “nothing wrong” in implementing it but challenged the BJP to obtain central funding.

“First, they (the BJP) should secure funds from the Central government for these projects,” Shivakumar said, noting that the Union Minister of State for Railways, V Somanna, is an MP from the state.

"Let them do anything they want. Who will deny them?" he asked.

Shivakumar further noted that except for Tejasvi Surya and Opposition Leader R Ashok, most BJP leaders in Bengaluru had not voiced any objection to the tunnel project.

Asked if the tunnel plan could meet the same end as the steel flyover project in Bengaluru proposed during the previous Congress regime, Shivakumar said, “We will do our job. We are interested in the project and will do it.”

The Rs 17,698-crore Bengaluru tunnel road project, global tender for which were floated in July by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited, envisions a three-lane twin tunnel connecting Hebbal Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board Junction.

Spanning 17 kilometres, the twin tunnel will include several entry and exit points.

The state government claims it will ease city-centre congestion and cut travel time for both cars and buses.

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