The State government not handing over 40 acres land to the Railways is the main hindrance for the world class railway station project not taking off in the city, according to Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament.
Addressing a gathering at a railway function in Mangaluru Central Railway Station here on Friday, Mr. Kateel said that it required 100 acres for the project. The Railways has 60 acres with it.
Mangaluru City Corporation and the State government should take the lead in handing over the balance land required for the project. “If the land is handed over, the Railways will lay the foundation stone for the project within a year,” the MP said.
The MP was responding to a statement earlier made in the same function by Mayor Kavita Sanil that that there was a need to take the project forward as Mangaluru is already under the Smart City project scheme under which works would start soon.
The world class railway station project proposal was mooted by the then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in the 2009-10 railway budget. It has been proposed to implement the project in Kankanady by extending the Mangaluru Junction Railway Station, Mr. Kateel said.
The MP drew the attention of the Mayor that the road leading to Mangaluru Junction Station was in bad condition and that there was a need to have a wider road.
The MP said that development works worth ₹ 10 crore would be taken up in the Mangaluru Central and Junction Railway stations. It included building an additional platform, toilets, upgrading reservation and current booking counters, parking facility (all in the Central station) and building two elevators in the Junction station.
In addition, the MP said that renovation works at the Central station would be taken up at an estimated cost of ₹ 70 crore. Bids for the works would be called in two months.
Mr. Kateel said that the demand for re-routing the night train between Mangaluru and Bengaluru via Shravanabelagola has been taken up with the Railways.
The officials, who have responded positively, said that a decision would be taken within two months.
