From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Apr 20: Given the fact that the railway connectivity is very poor in Karnataka as compared to other states in the south or north, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa lamented the slow pace work on implementing railway projects in the State despite the State Government’s offer to fund part of the project cost and also provide other facilities, including land.
He, however, agreed that the difficulties in acquisition of land was one of the main hurdles wherever sufficient government lands were not available and urged the state officials to expedite the land acquisition process if the State were to reach its goal of improving railway connectivity.
Yeddyurappa, who presided over a meeting of State Government officials to review the progress in the implementation of the railway projects in Karnataka, urged the Railway authorities to ensure that the projects were implemented at the earliest possible as delays in implementation resulted in serious problems, including cost escalation.
Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa, Infrastructure Minister G Janardhana Reddy, other Ministers and Railway officials were present at the meeting held in Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister pointed that Karnataka was one of the first states in the country to come forward with the offer of sharing the cost of the projects even though development of the railway network and improvement of the facilities were the responsibility of the Centre.
In 2010-11, he said Karnataka had released Rs 498 crore towards its share for railway projects but barely Rs 275.93 crore has been utilised, which was a little more than half the money released.
Speaking the reporters after the meeting, Yeddyurappa announced that the state government has decided to constitute a coordination committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary S V Ranganath and railway officials to monitor the progress of work.
The meeting of the high-power coordination committee headed by the Chief Secretary would be held once in a month so that immediate steps could be taken to sort out any bureaucratic problems and hurdles, he said.
The problem of land acquisition was one of the major reasons for slow progress for projects. Acquisition of over a thousand of acres for 12 major projects was a major problem in different districts.
The state government officials, particularly, deputy commissioners of districts, in which railway projects were under progress, have been instructed to speed up the land acquisition process, the Chief Minister said.
He said the State’s average railway network link is 15.72 per 1000 kms as against the national average of 19.27 kms. The State government has resolved to do its best to make up the deficit in the next 3 to 4 years.
“I have requested the Railway Minister to cooperate with the State government in this regard and assured that the Government’s share will be released as early as possible” Yeddyurappa said.
Yeddyurappa said the State government has released Rs 40 crore in 2010-11 for Kadur-Chickmagalur railway line and Rs 45 crore for Kolar-Chickballapur gauge works.
A sum of Rs. 10 crore had been released for new railway line from Kudachi to Bagalkote (141 kms) in 2010-11. A total of Rs. 21.49 crore had been released for over and under bridges in 2011-12 and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been asked to execute works.
A colony would be shifted to construct a new railways station at Chikballapur and a rail alignment of Bangalore-Hassan has been changed to save a Kunigal stud farm, which belonged to liquor baron and MP Vijay Mallya, Yeddyurappa said.
Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa appreciated that Karnataka had come forward to provide Rs 600 crore annually towards railway projects and cited land acquisition problems for delay in execution of some projects.
Muniyappa said five new projects have been sanctioned which covered a distance of 364.14 km at a cost of Rs. 2000 crore during 2011-12.
There were total 38 on-going projects, which included new lines, gauge conversion, electrification, which proposed to add 9500 km to rail network at a total cost of Rs. 15819.31 crore in Karnataka, he added.