Title - Four-laning of Mysore-Nanjangud stretch will begin in two months

MYSORE: Two infrastructure projects, which had been pending for long, have made it to the list of priorities of new district minister V Sreenivasa Prasad. Accordingly, four-laning of Mysore-Nanjangud Road and doubling of Mysore-Bangalore railway line will now get attention.While the upgrading a stretch of NH-212, connecting Mysore to Nanjangud, will help both tourists and industrial growth, the double line between the IT City and the tourist hub will improve connectivity.Prasad, who is also revenue minister, on Friday said that the delay in land acquisition in Mandya district has slowed down track-doubling work. A part of land required for laying a new line at Maddur was caught in legal dispute. "We have funds to acquire the land. I'm convening a meeting of Mysore and Mandya DCs to address the issue," Prasad told reporters after inaugurating district minister's office at Public Offices abutting Mysore Palace. The project is being delayed, as it needs shifting of an armory from Tipu Sultan's period at Srirangapatna railway station. "It has also been okayed now," he stated.

South Western Railway, which is building bridges across Cauvery river to lay the tracks, has completed track doubling on Mysore-Naganahalli and Bangalore-Ramanagaram lines. The missing link is delaying completion of the rail project, and the same is subsequently is adding to pressure on Mysore-Bangalore Expressway. While the railway has increased trains between Mysore and Bangalore in the last five years, the extension of better services hinges on the completion of the missing link.

The minister said that he will fix the problem arising out of land acquisition issue. Prasad, who represents Nanjangud, said the work on four-laning of Mysore-Nanjangud stretch will commence in two months. Pointing at the appointment of senior Congress leader from Karnataka Oscar Fernandes as Union minister for transport, road and highways, Prasad said it will help the Congress government put the project back on track. National Highways Authority of India has approved the four-laning work even as there are demands to realign the stretch to facilitate the expansion of workable Mysore airport. Airports Authority of India is seeking to extend the runway that cuts across Mysore-Nanjangud Road.

However, Prasad said the four-laning work will be taken up now, which could delay the expansion of the airport.

VIVEKA SMARAKA ISSUE

The district minister gave clear indications that century-old Kannada school could be handed over to Ramakrishna Mission to build a memorial for Swami Vivekananda. Though he sought to blame BJP for the mess surrounding the one-acre property attached to New Model Training School at Devaraja Mohalla, Prasad indicated that there are problems to take back the property, which is transferred to the religious organization. "I will consult legislators and other elected representatives to save the school from closure," he stated.

PRIORITY LIST

Karnataka development programmes review meeting ahead of budget session in July second week

Consultation with legislators and MPs about projects to develop Mysore

Meeting with elected representatives on Dasara celebrations