19th October 2011
Bangalore Metro – Dream Project realized
Bangalore Metro is being inaugurated on 20th October 2011. It is indeed a moment of pride for all Kannadigas.  Ananth Kumar, 5th time MP from Bangalore South is the visionary of Bangalore Metro. In the year 2001 Ananth Kumar was Union Urban Development Minister. He was then given a presentation by Mr Vijay Gore, MD Bangalore Metro Rail Transit Ltd. Regarding a Metro project for Bangalore in the presence of then Chief Minister Mr. S. M. Krishna.
BMRTL was a project to be executed jointly by Govt. of Karnataka and UB Group.  The project was languishing for several years for want of support.  In the meanwhile Bangaloreans were paying cess on petrol and diesel sold in Bangalore for this project. BMRTL had many lacuna and its ridership surveys were faulty and tariffs were expensive.  This agreement was terminated.
Ananth Kumar who played a key role in implementation of Delhi Metro. Mr Ananth Kumar requested Mr Shridharan of Delhi Metro to prepare a detailed project report for Bangalore Metro. He also released money for the preparation of Project Report of Bangalore Metro.  This project report was the beginning of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation-BMRCL (Namma Metro).  This report was accepted by central government and was sent for planning commission approval.  There was a stiff competition to get Metro between Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kanpur etc. Ananth Kumar advocated for Bangalore Metro in Central Cabinet and also in the Parliament. Planning commission gave its approval in February 2004. Shri Atal Bihari Vajapeyee was then Prime Minister of India.
The Bangalore Metro – dream project which was conceived in 2001 by Ananth Kumar is thus getting inaugurated in year 2011.  The two projects conceived by Ananth Kumar, Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) while he was Civil Aviation Minister and Bangalore Metro while he was Urban Development Minister, in Atalji’s Govt. have become realities.
Ananth Kumar has thanked all the Banagaloreans for enduring hardships and traffic problems during the implementation of this project.
He will be participating in the inauguration leaving JANA CHETANA YATRA, for which he is the Chief Convener, for a day.
Attached is the article published in Nimma AnanthKumar (Feb 2004 ), Kannada Tabloid for your reference.
Request you to publish the same in your esteemed news paper.

Thanking You,
Narayan Gambheer,
P. A. to Ananth Kumar, MP

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Click Here….Speech Given By Ananth Kumar On Namma Metro