From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Nov 4: The decks have been finally cleared for executing the prestigious Suburban Railway in Bengaluru.
The Extended Railway Board Meeting comprising officials of NITI Aayog, Railway Ministry, Ministry of Planning and Statistics and Finance Ministry have accorded approval for the project on Monday.
The file would next be placed before the cabinet for the final approval.
Bengaluru South Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya, who has been stressing the need for Suburban Railway Project for the city with the NITI Aayog, Railway Minister and top bureaucratic circles has hailed the approval of the project as a huge "milestone" in addressing the Urban mobility crisis of Bengaluru.
"We achieved a huge milestone on Monday in addressing the urban mobility crisis of Bengaluru. Our city is the only metro which does not have a Suburban Railway Network. The Suburban Railway, something that Bengalureans have been asking for the last 33 years, finally gained the clearance of the Extended Railway Board on Monday," Surya said in a statement.
"The project ran into hurdles, mainly with the NITI Aayog, with its proposal earlier this year. In lieu of this, I met the NITI Aayog CEO Shri Amitabh Kant last week and stressed the importance of Suburban Railway for Bengaluru. I informed him that the Revised DPR has met the guidelines laid down by the NITI Aayog and requested him to approve the project soon,’’ he said.
The BJP MP mentioned that the project was earlier cleared by the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, in August.
"I also met with the Railway Minister last week. As a citizen aggrieved with the traffic of Bengaluru, I brought to his notice the importance of the Suburban Railway and requested for his early clearance,’’ he said.
Surya said: ``The efforts of Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Railway Suresh Angadi and all Members of Parliament from Bengaluru PC Mohan and Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, have borne fruit today."
"It's good to note that all the authorities sat together today and cleared the project, without any further hurdles. It will next come up for approval with the Union Cabinet. All of us Members will meet the Prime Minister and request him to clear the project soon,’’ he added.