BENGALURU: Steps will be taken to complete the eight railway projects in Karnataka, commissioned over a decade ago, on priority and the government is ready to grant its share of funds, announced Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister V Somanna on Wednesday.
After holding a review of projects with officials of the Railways, the Karnataka Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIDC) and others, the minister told reporters that due to the delay in implementation of the projects, commissioned in 2007, the cost has escalated and no more new projects could be taken up.
“These have become a financial burden to both the Centre and the State. However, we will take them up immediately after sorting out land acquisition and other issues. They will be completed within a time frame as there is no dearth of funds. We will release our share of grants and, if the Centre also does its part, it will help speed up the process,” he said.
The eight projects includes the Munirabad-Mehbubnagar, Tumakuru-Raidurg, Tumakuru-Davanagere, Shivamogga-Shikaripura-Ranebennur, Chikkamanagalur-Belur, Belur-Hassan and Dharwad-Belagavi railway lines. He said that all issues related to the projects will be sorted out in 15-20 days, and a time frame will be set up for their completion, besides holding monthly review meetings to take stock of their progress. As many as 56 railway underbridges (RUBs) will be completed in this financial year itself, the minister hoped.
“Priority will also be given to complete the works on airports in Shivamogga, Vijayapura, Hassan and Raichur and a civil enclave at Karwar besides pending works at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru,” he said.
‘Bommai is shrewd’
Somanna observed that Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai has been running the administration shrewdly, and releasing the necessary grants for development works. On the Bitcoin row, he advised Congress leaders, including Priyank Kharge, to issue statements responsibly and only if they had authenticated information. On the bypolls, Sommana remarked, “If I had been sent to Hanagal three days earlier, I would have ensured the BJP’s victory by 10,000 votes.” The minister had intensively campaigned in Sindhagi where the BJP won.