Surveys for new rail lines in Karnataka will be done in six months: Muniyappa

Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa on Saturday said he had directed Railway officials to complete within six months the surveys in Karnataka for 15 new railway lines announced in the 2010-11 Railway budget so that the routes found viable could be included in the next budget.

Similarly, work on five new railway line projects for which the State government has agreed to share the cost, besides giving land free of cost, would also begin within six months, the Minister announced.

He was speaking to presspersons here at the customary post-budget press conference.

Mr. Muniyappa said that the ongoing line doubling work between Ramanagara and Mysore on the Bangalore-Mysore line would be completed within two years. The budget had set aside Rs. 40 crore for the ongoing work on the Kadur-Chikmagalur line, which is at an advanced stage of completion.

In all, Karnataka would get Rs. 883 crore from the Ministry and Rs. 600 crore from the State government for ongoing and new projects, including the surveys for new railway lines in 2010-11.

State government gesture

Welcoming State government’s gesture in sharing 50 per cent cost of ongoing as well as new projects, the Minister said the government had agreed to provide land free of cost for five railway lines: Bagalkot-Kudachi (680 hectares, total cost Rs. 816 crore); Whitefield-Kolar (201 hectares, total cost Rs. 336 crore); Tumkur-Davangere (810 hectares, total cost Rs. 913 crore); Gadag-Haveri (400 hectares, Rs. 350 crore); and Shimoga-Harihar (320 hectares, total cost Rs. 504 crore).