Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 13 launched over Rs 15,600-crore worth of infrastructure projects in Karnataka. He opened the Bengaluru Metro Pink Line and a new Vande Bharat Express. Modi also dedicated India’s largest underground LPG storage cavern in Mangaluru and started many renewable energy transmission schemes across the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 13 launched over Rs 15,600-crore worth of infrastructure projects in Karnataka, including Bengaluru Metro's Pink Line, a Vande Bharat Express and India's largest underground LPG storage cavern. In Bengaluru, Modi inaugurated the 7.5-km elevated section of Namma Metro's Pink Line between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, developed at a cost of around Rs 3,470 crore. The Pink Line is part of the 21-km corridor connecting Kalena Agrahara in south Bengaluru with Nagawara north. Its elevated section has seven stations, while the underground section remains under construction.
Major push to renewable energy transmission Modi inaugurated the transmission scheme for integrating renewable energy zones in Koppal-II and Gadag-II, developed at an investment of around Rs 4,450 crore. The project will facilitate evacuation of 2 GW of renewable energy. He also inaugurated the transmission scheme for the solar energy zone in Bidar, built at an investment of around Rs 1,370 crore. The project will facilitate evacuation of 2.5 GW of solar power. Modi laid the foundation stones for two projects: integration of renewable energy zones in Davanagere, Chitradurga and Ballari, costing more than Rs 3,450 crore, and a transmission strengthening project in Davanagere and Ballari, costing over Rs 1,100 crore.
India's largest underground LPG storage cavern In the petroleum sector, Modi dedicated India's largest underground LPG storage cavern in Mangaluru, constructed at a cost of more than Rs 850 crore. With a storage capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes, the facility will strengthen India's LPG storage infrastructure. It includes a 9.4-km pipeline connecting New Mangalore Port to the main terminal. He also dedicated MRPL's Devangonthi Marketing Terminal, built for Rs 330 crore to strengthen petroleum product distribution. In waste management, Modi laid the foundation stone for GAIL's compressed biogas plant at Haralakunte in Bengaluru.
The facility will process around 300 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily to produce 12.6 tonnes of compressed biogas. Vande Bharat to connect Bengaluru, coastal Karnataka and Goa Modi flagged off the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, providing rail connectivity between Bengaluru, coastal Karnataka and Goa. The service will connect Hassan, Sakleshpur, Mangaluru, Udupi, Murdeshwar, Gokarna and Karwar to Madgaon. The service is expected to boost tourism. The Prime Minister also inaugurated four redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme: Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road.
The stations offer improved passenger amenities. He dedicated the 45-km Bagalkot-Wandal railway doubling section, part of the 284-km Gadag-Hotgi project, and the electrification of the 55-km Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section. The project completes electrification of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route.