Raichur-Gadwal railway line yet to be inaugurated by AllIsWell on 08 September, 2013 - 09:00 PM | ||
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![]() | Raichur-Gadwal railway line yet to be inaugurated on 08 September, 2013 - 09:00 PM | |
People in the region were excited when the Union Minister for Railways Mallikarjun Kharge announced on July 2 that the 58 km stretch of broad-gauge railway line between Raichur in Karnataka and Gadwal in Andhra Pradesh, would be dedicated to the nation on August 15, 2013. Unfortunately the plan has not materialised due to various factors.The work for the new line was taken up in 2001–02 when the NDA was in power at the CentreThe project cost was pegged at Rs. 109 crore. A total of 652 acres of land was acquired from farmers of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (398 acres from Karnataka and 254 acres from Andhra Pradesh). The work was supposed to be completed in 2008. Protest by the farmers over fair prices for their lands, legal hurdles, and the floods in 2009 delayed the work. The work of the new line was completed early this year. Stations were built along the route with necessary amenities. The final touches were done by officials to make it ready for inauguration on August 15.“The commissioning of a new rail line can take place only after Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) approves the lane after inspection. The work on the broad-gauge line between Raichur and Gadwal has been completed and we are waiting for the clearance of CRS, which comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” Sambasiva Rao K., Chief Public Relation Officer, South Central Railway, told The Hindu from Secunderabad. |