From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Oct 3: Travellers between Karnataka’s capital Bangalore and the historical city of Mysore can heave a sigh of relief as the long-awaited Bangalore-Mysore Railway Track Doubling work involving a length of 139 kms is likely to be completed by the end of 2014.

This information was given to reporters by Karnataka’s Minister of State for Infrastructure Development and Information Santosh Lad on Thursday that the Government has directed the Deputy Commissioners to expedite the land acquisition process for the early completion of the project.

Officials said work on stretches between Bangalore-Shettihalli (65 km), Mysore-Naganahalli (9 km), Maddur-Hanakere (10 km), Mandya-Yeliyur (7 km) were completed while stretches between Shettihalli-Maddur and Hanakere-Mandya were on progress.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reviewed the progress of the doubling working on Thursday.

The State Government will release Rs 150 crore this month to expedite works of the ongoing railway projects which are taken up on cost-sharing basis with the Ministry of Railways.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday chaired a meeting of officials of the South Western Railway, Infrastructure Development, Revenue and other departments concerned and said Rs 100 crore had already been released and another amount of Rs 150 crore would be released in October.

The Chief Minister reviewed the progress of 18 projects taken by the Railways in the State and directed Deputy Commissioners to expedite the land acquisition process for projects.

The State Government spent Rs 1500 crore on railway projects. The State agreed to take up 10 projects on cost sharing basis.

In addition to the Rs 373 crore set aside in the State budget 2013-14, the Government would have to provide another Rs 200 crore as its share as Union Railway Minister, M Mallikarjuna Kharge, who hails from the State, had announced additional funding for such projects in the State, the Chief Minister said.

The Railways provided Rs 328.84 crore in 2013-14.

Lad said the State would give within a week a list of projects to the Railways that needed to be taken up on a priority basis.

The Railways have been executing around 100 km network a year and Kharge instructed the Railways to increase to 180-200 km a year in the State.

State officials said the government has taken proactive steps to speed up land acquisition and 2500 acres was acquired and handed over to the Railways in the last three years.

The State government urged the Railways to focus on completing and operationalise ongoing projects that are nearing completion such as Kolar-Chikkaballapura gauge conversion, Kadur-Chikmagalur and Kottur-Harihara new lines.