The proposal for providing a direct railway connectivity between Hyderabad Karnataka and Bombay Karnataka region crossed the first major hurdle with the Planning Department giving its approval to the proposal for the Wadi–Gadag new railway line. The proposal would now be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for final approval.
Addressing a press conference after inspecting the land identified for locating the proposed rail coach factory at Kadechur village which is in between Saidapur and Chegunta Railway Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge said that along with the Wadi–Gadag new rail line, the Planning Department had given its nod to new line from Kanakapura–Chamarajanagar passing through Kollegal.
While the Wadi–Gadag line would cost more than Rs. 1,600 crore, the Kanakapura–Chamarajanagar line would cost around Rs. 1,300 crore. Along with this, the proposal for Harihar–Kottur, Tumkur–Davangere, Bagalkot–Kudchi railway line would also be taken up. Mr. Kharge said if the hurdle at Kunigal was cleared immediately, the Hassan–Bangalore railway line work would be taken up at the earliest.
Referring to the problems faced in taking up the doubling of rail line from Bangalore to Mysore, Mr. Kharge said it had been decided to go ahead with the doubling work without touching the Tipu Sultan armoury, and after its shifting to another place, the doubling work would be taken up in that portion.
Mr. Kharge said the State government had identified 36 acres at one place and another 7 acres at another place for the establishment of the administrative office for augmenting the divisional railway of the Central Railway at Solapur. The Railways had sought 60 acres of land for the construction of the administrative office on the periphery of Gulbarga City.
He said that once the land was handed over to the railway, work on the administrative office of Central Railways would begin immediately. At present, the land identified by the State for handing over to the Railways for constructing the administrative office was owned by the Public Works Department, and would have to be transferred to the Revenue Department to formally hand it over to the Railways.
