Yogesh K Porwar
New Delhi:Former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai has urged Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to commence the Gadag–Yelavigi railway project at the earliest.
Meeting the Union Minister in New Delhi on Monday , Bommai said the Gadag–Yelavigi railway project falls within the Haveri–Gadag Lok Sabha constituency.
This project, about 58 km in length, was approved by the Central Government in 2017–18.It will connect Gadag and Haveri districts, and also link Kittur Karnataka with Kalyana Karnataka.
This connectivity will greatly facilitate passenger movement and goods transportation in North Karnataka, thereby helping to upgrade Karnataka’s economic activities.
He further stated that the Central and State governments will share the cost of the project in a 50:50 ratio, and the required land will be provided by the State Government.
The Karnataka Government, through its order No. IDD/91/NSW/2022 dated 18-04-2022 (when Bommai was the Chief Minister), had already committed to bearing 50% of the project cost and providing the land free of cost.
The former CM said on December 17,2022,tenders were called based on the revised FSL estimate of Rs.1.45 crore,and the survey work has been completed.The revised DPR is expected to be ready by the end of August 2025.
The MP requested that the senior officials of the South Western Railway Zone be directed to coordinate immediately with the Karnataka State Government and obtain the DPR.
He also appealed to release about Rs.650 crore for the first phase of the project and, at the same time,for Karnataka Government officials to initiate the land acquisition process, so that the work can commence within the 2025–26 financial year.
The MP expressed hope in his request that the necessary action would be taken in this regard.
