A proposal to connect the Bengaluru Metro to Tamil Nadu’s industrial town of Hosur has sparked a controversy in Karnataka with several Kannada groups opposing the move fearing more migration from the neighbouring state to Bengaluru making things difficult for the local population in the IT capital. Chennai Metro Rail Limited is pushing ahead with a feasibility report to connect Bommasandra in Karnataka to Hosur in Tamil Nadu. This will be the first interstate metro in southern India, covering a length of 23 kilometres, including around 11 km in Tamil Nadu and 12 km in Karnataka, with 12 metro stations and a depot planned along the route.
“We shouldn’t link Namma Metro to Tamil Nadu. Already lakhs of people from Tamil Nadu have come here and built their lives. We are already seeing that in border areas like Attibele and Electronic City, we are seeing people from Tamil Nadu coming and working in big companies. If we link the metro to Tamil Nadu, it will become easier for more people to migrate and it will make the lives of Kannadigas difficult. We mentioned it to DK Shivakumar and the chief minister; they said no decision has been made. We will take up this issue soon,” said Narayan Gowda, president of pro-Kannada group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike.
The Karnataka government has been non-committal on the project after approving a pre-feasibility study by Tamil Nadu and is not keen on cost-sharing since the state is already losing investments to Hosur, especially in the manufacturing sector. Ola, which is headquartered in Bengaluru, has opened its manufacturing facility in neighbouring Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri. Similarly, several other manufacturing units have chosen the Hosur-Krishnagiri region over Bengaluru. Other pro-Kannada activists argue that the goal must be to secure Karnataka’s interest in getting more investment and jobs and not spend its resources to connect the IT capital with Hosur and help the neighbouring state.
“The primary goal is to protect Kannadigas in Karnataka. We want to know why it is important to extend the metro to Hosur instead of Ramanagara or Bidadi in Karnataka. Tamil Nadu is very clear about its people and its state. Similarly, Karnataka has to understand the policies and programmes. We can’t allow investment to move to Hosur,” said Sajith, a pro-Kannada activist.
Tamil Nadu has also announced an airport in Hosur after Karnataka planned a second airport for its capital Bengaluru. If Hosur airport becomes a reality, it is likely to draw passengers from south Bengaluru, including Electronic City, which is 35 km from the IT belt.
The opposition too is asking the Karnataka government to come clean on the issue. “The government can’t be non-committal; they should make their stand clear. The Karnataka government should focus on expanding the metro within Bengaluru. Large parts of outer ring road which have heavy traffic still do not have access to metro; that should be prioritised,” said Nandiesha Reddy, general secretary, BJP Karnataka.
The Congress in Karnataka is assuring that its government will protect the interests of the state at all costs. “We will do everything to protect the interest of Kannadigas and Bengaluru. We will look at it when the report is ready,” said Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad.
Bengaluru Metro’s yellow line, connecting Bommasandra and RV Road, is expected to be operational by December 2024. BMRCL has also engaged Aarvee Associates to prepare a feasibility study for the extension of the yellow line from Bommasandra to Attibele (11 km), near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.
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