Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Valyapure has said that the State government has questioned the demand placed by Indian Railways for increasing the share of the State in railway projects citing escalation of the costs.
Speaking to The Hindu here on Friday, Mr. Valyapure said, “We have told Indian Railways that the blame for cost escalation due to delay should be borne by the Railways and the State government cannot be held responsible for it..”
Mr. Valyapure said that the State government had discharged its duties by acquiring land required in time for these projects and the delay was mainly due to the scanty allocation of funds by the Union government. He said that the Railways had sought an escalation of 30 per cent in the cost of the projects taken up on cost sharing basis in the State. “We have not accepted this as we are not responsible for the delay,” he said.
Mr. Valyapure said that the State government had released Rs. 18 crore for the Gulbarga-Bidar rail line project a couple of days ago. The State government has given clearance for work on a railway overbridge on the Gulbarga-Afzalpur highway.
