To match the corresponding funds released by the Railway Board for the cost-sharing projects in the State and expedite their completion, the State government is planning to release an additional fund of `200 crore within this financial year.
While refusing to specify the additional funds likely to be released, Infrastructure Development Department principal secretary Vandita Sharma said, “To expedite the work on the cost-sharing railway projects we have requested the Chief Minister to release some additional funds.”
However, sources said the Chief Minister has agreed to release additional fund of Rs 200 crore for the cost-sharing projects in the State after the railway minister requested the Chief Minister to do so.
According to the information obtained from the Railways the Railway Board has allocated more than Rs 600 crore for various projects in the South Western Railway zone and is likely to release more funds. The State government has allocated Rs 363 crore in the budget, which is lesser than the corresponding funds released by the Railways.
Of the 28 ongoing railway projects in the State 12 have been undertaken on cost sharing basis. The State government has offered to give land free of cost for these projects and has agreed fund 50 per cent of the project costs. Besides providing rail connectivity to the important towns these projects will increase the railway network in the State by 1,705 km.
According to the estimates, around Rs 14,000 crore would be required to complete the cost-sharing projects in the State.
12 Cost-Sharing Railway Projects
■ Sholapur - Gadag
■ Shimoga - Talaguppa
■ Kottur - Harihara
■ Bidar - Gulbarga
■ Bangalore - Mysore
■ Munirabad - Mahbubnagar
■ Hassan - Bangalore
■ Shimoga - Harihara
■ Whitefield - Kolar
■ Tumkur - Rayadurga
■ Kudachi - Bagalkot
■ Davangere - Tumkur