RailEnquiry

Differences seem to have cropped up between the railways and the state government on setting up the much hyped coach factory over land and funds required for the project.

Infrastructure Development Department Principal Secretary Aimitha Prasada said: “Though former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda had offered to give the land required for the project free and bear 50 per cent of the project cost, we have to deliberate over the issue. We have asked the Kolar DC on how much government land is available in the area as that would help us come to a decision.”

While refusing to comment on the issue, South Western Railway General Manager Ashok Kumar Mittal said: “We have written to the state government and I am sure that the issue would be resolved very soon and the project implemented at the earliest.”

According to sources, the government expressed its inability to give the entire land free of cost. It has offered to give only the available government land free of cost for the project.

The rail coach building factory was proposed to be set up in around 1,200 acres in Srinivaspur Taluk of Kolar district in 2010/11 to provide employment to over 5,000 people. The government had identified the land and had offered to provide it free of cost to expedite the setting up of the factory. Around 60 per cent of the land near the identified site belongs to the government.

The former railway minister had also announced that the project would be set up as a joint venture between the state and the railways.