Bharatiya Janata Party National Yuva Morcha President and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Monday, 29 June accused the Karnataka government of deliberately stalling the procurement of 4,500 centrally sanctioned electric buses for Bengaluru, alleging that the state was unwilling to release its share of funds under the PM e-Drive scheme even as it pushed ahead with costly road infrastructure projects. Surya made the accusations at a press conference in Bengaluru, calling the delay a reflection of the ruling government's skewed priorities.

The PM e-Drive Scheme and What Is at Stake

The Government of India has sanctioned 4,500 electric buses for Bengaluru under the PM e-Drive scheme, and the proposal has also received the Karnataka Cabinet's approval. Despite this dual clearance, Surya alleged that the state government has been dragging its feet on the procurement, even though it is required to contribute only a small share of the total cost.

'The Central government has sanctioned 4,500 buses for Bengaluru. The state government only has to contribute a minimal amount to procure these buses. If the government has thousands of crores of rupees to spend on projects like the proposed tunnel road, why does it not have the money to invest in public transport?' Surya asked.

He said he had already raised the issue in Parliament, and that Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had responded to it on record.

Tunnel Road vs Public Transport: The Cost Comparison

Surya took direct aim at the state's infrastructure spending choices, citing remarks made by Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who had argued that short flyovers fail to resolve traffic congestion. Surya used those comments to challenge the logic of a proposed tunnel road project.

'If the Minister himself says short flyovers such as those at Ragigudda and Silk Board have failed to solve traffic problems, how can a short tunnel road solve Bengaluru's traffic woes? If a ₹300-crore flyover has not eased congestion, how will a ₹1,200-crore tunnel road do so? Whom are they trying to mislead?' he questioned.

Surya alleged that the state was pursuing what he called 'unscientific' mega-projects that would not benefit ordinary commuters, while neglecting investments in mass public transport relied upon by lakhs of residents daily.

BMTC Commuters and Pedestrians 'Sidelined', Says Surya

The Bengaluru South MP alleged that the Karnataka government was functioning exclusively in the interest of car owners and the elite, while ignoring the daily transport needs of BMTC bus users and Namma Metro commuters. He described ordinary citizens as having been reduced to 'second-class citizens' under the current administration.

'Women who commute by bus every day and pedestrians are no longer a priority for this government. This is a VIP government that is chasing 'white elephant' mega projects where commissions can be made, while neglecting the basic transportation needs of the common people,' Surya alleged.

Stalled Skywalk Near Banashankari Bus Stand

Surya also flagged a separate infrastructure issue — a skywalk, or pedestrian overbridge, near the Banashankari BMTC Bus Stand, whose groundbreaking ceremony had been personally performed by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar during his earlier tenure as Deputy Chief Minister. He alleged the project had since been abandoned midway, reportedly after the government decided to replace it with a flyover at the same location following inputs from a contractor.

This comes amid growing public frustration over Bengaluru's chronic traffic congestion and the perceived gap between infrastructure announcements and on-ground delivery. With the state's bus fleet ageing and ridership demand rising, the fate of the 4,500 PM e-Drive buses is expected to remain a flashpoint in Karnataka's political discourse in the weeks ahead.