Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on September 7 met Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and requested him to expedite the Bengaluru Suburban Rail project and set up a Gulbarga division of the Railways. Emerging from the meeting, Bommai, who is visiting Delhi, told the media, "Several issues were discussed with the minister. The railway works that have already been implemented were discussed. Specially demanded the creation of a Kalaburagi division." Speaking about Bengaluru Suburban Rail project, the Chief Minister said administrative approval has been given, but the concession agreement between Karnataka and the Ministry of Railways is still to be signed. He added that he requested the minister to finalise the agreement. He further said setting up of a division in a less developed area will encourage railway and economic activity in that region.
Bommai said he also discussed the Hubbali-Ankola new railway line project which was stuck in the High Court since it was challenged by environmentalists. "Even though the state has made a fresh DPR (detailed project report) as per green rules, this has been challenged. The stay obtained by environmental activists should be vacated so that work can commence," he said.
This line is crucial to connect central and north Karnataka to the west coast. The proposed line will connect the Konkan railway near Ankola and provide the much-needed link between coastal, central and north Karnataka, he said.
In a representation made to the Union Minister, Bommai said the state government is planning to develop a major port in Karwar under a public-private partnership model. "Private investors who are showing keen interest in port development have demanded the execution of Hubbali-Ankola railway line as it is the basic requirement for the port to be economically viable," he said. JSW Steel Ltd has come forward to even share the cost of this project with Railways, he added.
In another development, the Chief Minister also demanded that the Union government allow the setting up of Karnataka Optical Fiber Network (KOFN) and bear the total cost of Rs 4,300 crore while meeting Vaishnaw, who is also the Union Minister for Information Technology. Bommai stated that 25,000 government offices and institutions in Karnataka are facing internet connectivity problems.
He also met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and requested for wider implementation of schemes like 'one district, one product' operated by agencies National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). Bommai is scheduled to meet Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, and Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension Jitendra Singh, on September 8.