BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has delivered a sharp rebuke of the Karnataka government’s ₹18,000 crore tunnel road plan, calling it “unscientific” and destined to fail.
Surya accused the Congress-led state administration of ignoring critical urban mobility needs while pushing a costly and exclusionary project. He raised serious doubts about the Detailed Project Report (DPR) — prepared at ₹9.5 crore — alleging it was authored by a blacklisted consultant and copied from earlier studies without proper scrutiny.
Designed to connect Hebbal and Silk Board, the tunnel would only allow four-wheelers and charge ₹600 per round trip, a plan Surya slammed as regressive and anti-commuter. “This doesn’t serve the majority of Bengaluru’s population who rely on public transport,” he said.
He also criticised the 40% Viability Gap Funding (VGF) component, which would make the government liable for ₹7,200 crore, burdening the public for a high-risk project with narrow benefits.
In response to Deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s praise for the tunnel on X, Surya fired back, accusing him of neglecting pothole repairs, delaying Metro progress, and suppressing the fare review panel’s findings.
Experts and activists echo these concerns, warning that the tunnel could turn into a private expressway for the elite, disconnected from sustainable, integrated urban transit goals.