BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday handed over an order copy of the Karnataka government, approving the suburban rail project, to Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. With this, the state government has officially asked the Centre to take the project forward.
The state government order, giving in-principle approval for the Rs 18,641-cr project, was submitted to Goyal by Yediyurappa. The massive transit project is being pushed by all three MPs from Bengaluru. Yediyurappa, who was in New Delhi on Friday, also met Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri, apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A delegation of Karnataka BJP legislators and parliamentarians, led by Yediyurappa, discussed projects, including strengthening of the Railway Police in Karnataka, a new railway line in Hassan- Belur-Sringeri and Bidar-Nanded railway line with Piyush Goyal. Damages caused to railway lines in the flood-affected districts of Karnataka were also highlighted.
At a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Yediyurappa discussed setting up of a Joint Venture Company or Special Purpose Vehicle with Airports Authority of India to develop, maintain and operate state-owned airports. The Union minister was invited to inaugurate the Kalaburagi Airport..
Lobbying with no results
Heavy lobbying marked the day for the BJP’s ministerial aspirants, who have been trying hard to impress party president BS Yediyurappa to make the final cut. Amid the misinformation and rumours are a few rival lists of probables circulating among media houses, as to who will be in and who will be out. But two very senior BJP leaders told TNIE, on condition of anonymity, that the decision will be taken at the highest national leadership level by Amit Shah, JP Nadda and BL Santhosh, in consultation with Yediyurappa. They said that all speculation is just rumours, and no matter how hard these leaders lobby, it could just be a pointless exercise. The aspirants’ selling point is to impress on their invaluable service.