Tuesday was a historic day for Chikmagalur as the century-old Kadur-Chikmagalur railway project became a reality.
Soon after the dignitaries pressed the button and waved the green flag, the decorated train whistled and chugged out of the Chikmagalur railway station at 3.30 pm carrying passengers going towards Kadur as people cheered.
Passengers distributed sweets to villagers at railway stations.
The whole town wore a festive look. KSRTC buses ferried people to the venue and hundreds of people came in private vehicles from Kadur and Birur.
Four Union Ministers Mallikarjun Kharge, K H Muniyappa, M Veerappa Moily and Oscar Fernandes, besides Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, MP K Jayaprakash Hegde, District Minister K Abhayachandra Jain, MLAs C T Ravi, Y S V Datta, B B Ningaiah, Srininvas, MLCs Motamma, Gayatri Shanthe Gowda, ZP president Rekha Huliyappa Gowda and a host of people’s representatives witnessed the event.
The Union Ministers, who spoke during the inauguration of the line, said it was a gift to Indira Gandhi on her birthday. Oscar Fernandes, on behalf of the other Central ministers, promised all facilities to Chikmagalur. Union Minister Veerappa Moily said the project got a boost as it was once represented by Indira Gandhi.
Speaking at the launch ceremony at the Chikmagalur railway station on Tuesday, Mallikarjun Kharge said that soon after he became minister, he called the railway safety director and told him to expedite the project.
“Luckily it is being launched during my tenure, though efforts of many people across party lines were behind this project,” he added.