Yogesh K Porwar
*13 pending issues presented before the Central Government.
*Request to release 15th Finance Commission funds for Gram Panchayats.
*Discussion on pending approval for Bengaluru’s STRR (Satellite Town Ring Road) project.
*Request for approval of Bengaluru Suburban Rail project.
*Request for action on Kolar railway coach factory.
*Push for reopening HAL Airport for commercial use.
*Immediate approval needed for Sagarmala 2.0 action plan.
*Request to set up AIIMS in Raichur.
*Support needed for pest control in coconut and areca nut crops.
CM D.K.Shivakumar discussed 13 issues with Union Ministers and the state’s MPs.These include approvals and grants pending with the Central Government,except for the Water Resources Department.
The meeting was held on Monday at Karnataka Bhavan, New Delhi, chaired by CM Shivakumar,with all MPs from the state.The meeting urged putting pressure on the Central Government to approve these projects.
The MPs were requested to pay attention to:approval of various state bills,Gram Panchayat grants,Sagarmala 2.0 projects,relocation of families from Kudremukh National Park,transfer of defence land to the state government, Bengaluru Ring Road,Kolar railway coach factory,Bengaluru Suburban Rail project, Bengaluru-Mumbai high-speed rail line, reopening HAL Airport for commercial use,setting up AIIMS in Raichur, pest control for coconut and areca nut crops, and modernisation police force.
*Details of issues discussed at the meeting:
*Release of 15th Finance Commission funds for Gram Panchayats.
A request was made to release the 15th Finance Commission grant for Gram Panchayats for 2025-26.
The 15th Finance Commission had recommended ₹2,186.20 crore in aid for 2025-26.The Central Government has not yet released this amount.
The Secretary of the Panchayat Raj Department has written many letters asking the Panchayat Raj Ministry to release the funds.
Queries asked on 11.03.2026 were answered in detail on 25.03.2026.
The Chief Secretary also wrote a letter on 04.04.2026.
The Chief Minister wrote letters on 25.02.2026 and 06.04.2026.
The Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj wrote letters to the concerned Union Minister on 19.01.2026, 02.07.2026,and 15.07.2026.
*Bengaluru’s STRR (Satellite Town Ring Road) project:
This is a 288 km ring road around Bengaluru.It connects Bengaluru with nearby satellite towns:
Hoskote,Devanahalli,Doddaballapur,Dabaspet,Magadi, Ramanagara,Kanakapura,Anekal, and Hosur.
The state government is bearing 30% of the land acquisition cost.
The state has agreed to exemptions on mineral royalty and GST.The remaining work, worth ₹9,613 crore, still needs approval from the Union Cabinet.
*Bengaluru Suburban Rail project:
This project is 148 km long. Its revised cost is ₹23,343 crore. So far,₹3,342.77 crore has been spent.Buying 153 coaches needs approval from the Union Cabinet and the Railway Ministry.
*Kolar railway coach factory:
In 2014,the Union Cabinet approved a plan where the state government and Railways,each would bear 50% of the project cost.The state government has given the land, but the project has still not started.
*Reopening HAL Airport for commercial use:
HAL Airport needs to be reopened for commercial use. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has not yet made a final decision.
*Approval for Sagarmala 2.0 action plan:
Under Sagarmala 2.0,the Karnataka Maritime Board submitted a proposal worth ₹16,561 crore for 176 projects, six months ago and again on 17.07.2026.
The Central Government has still not approved the Sagarmala 2.0 action plan.These projects will boost coastal infrastructure, port connectivity, fishing, and tourism. Necessary action was requested on this.
*Setting up AIIMS in Raichur:
A proposal to set up AIIMS in Raichur was submitted on 21.08.2023.
The Chief Minister again wrote to the Prime Minister on 11.06.2026.
This will help healthcare and regional development. Approval from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is still pending.
*Support for pest control in coconut and areca nut crops:
More than ₹1,438.59 crore in aid has been requested for coconut and areca nut crops.Support is needed from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
*Other issues raised:
For relocating families from Kudremukh National Park, a grant of ₹300 crore under the CAMPA scheme was requested on 02.04.2025.Approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is still pending.
A proposal for transferring defence land to the state was submitted on 15.12.2025.This includes 40 acres in Bengaluru and 668 acres in Belagavi.Approval is needed from the Ministry of Defence.
The state has requested that the Bengaluru-Mysuru and Bengaluru-Mumbai routes be included in the high-speed rail network.
This will help industrial growth, faster travel, and regional balance in the Kittur Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka regions.Approval is needed from the concerned Union Ministry.
For police modernisation, ₹270.71 crore is needed for the ICJS 2.0 project. Under the ASUMP scheme, ₹280 crore release is pending.
Funds need to be arranged through discussion with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
*Various state bills:
– Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2015.
– Karnataka Mineral Rights and Mineral-Bearing Land Tax Bill, 2024.
– Drugs and Cosmetics (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025.
– Notaries (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Quick approval for these bills is needed from the Ministry of Home Affairs and other concerned Union Ministries.
