Title - Rs. 150 crore more this month for railway projects in State

The State government will release Rs. 150 crore this month to expedite work on the ongoing railway projects taken up on cost-sharing basis with the Ministry of Railways.Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who on Thursday chaired a meeting of officials of the South Western Railway, Infrastructure Development, Revenue and other departments concerned, said that Rs. 100 crore had earlier been released and Rs. 150 crore more would be released this month.The Chief Minister reviewed 18 projects taken up by the Railways in the State and directed Deputy Commissioners to expedite land acquisition process.The State government has spent Rs. 1,500 crore on railway projects. It has agreed to take up 10 projects on cost-sharing basis.In addition to the Rs. 373 crore set aside in the State budget 2013-14, the government would have to provide another Rs. 200 crore as its share as Railway Minister M. Mallikarjuna Kharge has announced additional funding for such projects in the State, the Chief Minister said. The Railways released Rs. 328.84 crore in 2013-14.Minister of State for Infrastructure Development Santosh Lad said that the State would give within a week a list of projects to the Railways to be taken up on priority.

The Railways has been completing work on 100-km network a year and Mr. Kharge has instructed the Railways to increase this to 180-200 km a year in the State.