Rail link between Bangalore-Chamarajnagar cleared

MYSORE: The rail link between Bangalore and Chamarajnagar has been cleared by the Centre. After Karnataka government sought to put the long pending project on the track announcing financial assistance, the railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday reciprocated it announcing Bangalore-Satyamangalam line. Major chunk of the proposed line lies within Karnataka linking the IT City to the Tamil Nadu border via Kanakapura, Malavalli, Kollegal and Chamarajnagar. First came the state government announcement when CM Jagadish Shettar on February 8 made the offer in his budget; He pledged funds for the project reviving hopes of improved connectivity to the area. The Union minister cleared it in the rail budget. He said: “I also wish to announce resumption of work on new line projects of Bangalore- Satyamangalam, which was pending for want of resources and other mandatory clearances after State Government of Karnataka agreed to give land free of cost and bear 50 per cent of the cost.” Sources in the Mysore division of South Western Railway told TOI that the survey for the line is through in 2006 and it was estimated to cost Rs 1,100 crores. Now, the cost will escalate sharply. It could be some Rs 2,000 crore, they stated. The project was held up for years for clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forests. With the railway minister announcing that mandatory clearances have come through and Karnataka will fund 50 per cent of the cost, the project could finally start rolling linking Bangalore with Chamarajnagar, which is Phase I. While there are apprehensions that the project could get into trouble with the proposed 260 km line passing through pristine Satyamangalam forests cutting elephant corridor, the 186 km Phase I might be saved from any hiccups as there are no such hurdles and the government has pledged funds. The problem is between Chamarajnagar and Satyamangalam. According to Chamarajnagar MP R Dhruvanarayan, the focus is on Bangalore-Chamarajnagar line in the Phase I. The CM had announced survey of new railway line linking Tumkur to Chamarajnagar via Maddur and said he will provide land and 50 per cent of the total cost for the implementation of the project. The Union minister approved it too including it in the survey of new lines, but from restricted the like to Malavalli. What has come as a relief is the approval of works Chikamagalur-Sakleshpur line, which Udupi-Chikamagalur MP K Jayaprakash Hegde pointed out was promised by former PM Indira Gandhi when she contested the by-polls from Chikamagalur parliamentary constituency in 1978. The 46 km line will help link Kadur to Sakleshpur, he stated pointing out that Kadur-Chikamagalur line is ready. The doubling of Tumkur-Arsikere line will help improve rail connectivity and also upgrade the services by improving frequency of the trains, sources stated.Budget 2013Rail Budget 2013 Economic Survey 2013