Bengaluru: From 50:50, it’s down to 84:16. Karnataka Wednesday claimed the Centre’s contribution to Namma Metro’s capital investment has progressively declined over years, creating a huge imbalance in capital infusion.“Karnataka is shouldering nearly 84% of the total estimated project cost. Bengaluru is among the highest income-tax-paying and GST-generating cities in India and is a major contributor to foreign exchange earnings. The Centre should reinvest a greater share of the revenue generated from Bengaluru in the city’s infrastructure,” Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda said, opening a new flank in the Centre-state faceoff.Presenting the funding commitments across Metro Phases I, II, IIA, IIB and the estimated cost of Phase III, Gowda said the combined investment stood at Rs 77,891 crore. Karnataka’s contribution was estimated at Rs 65,291 crore against the Centre’s Rs 12,600 crore, translating into a ratio of nearly 5:1. Or, Karnataka, Gowda argued, was effectively investing nearly Rs 5 for Re 1 contributed by the Centre.
