Title - ‘State will bear land acquisition cost for railway projects’

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Saturday announced that the State government would not only bear the cost of land acquisition, but would also share the cost of subsequent railway projects in the State.

New station
He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the New Hubli Railway Station here on Saturday.Referring to the handing over of 100 acres of land at Navalur for shifting the railway goods shed in Hubli, which led to the development of the new station building in Hubli, Mr. Shettar said the State government was ready to bear the cost of the acquisition of land for new railway projects. This is in addition to the decision on sharing 50 per cent of the cost of the railway projects, he said.Mr. Shettar’s announcement came after Member of Parliament Pralhad Joshi mentioned the outcome of the feasibility survey for the railway line between Dharwad and Belgaum via Kittur and requested that if the State government came forward to acquire land up to Kittur from Dharwad, then the Railway Ministry would give the required approval. It was necessary in the wake of the survey report terming the project economically unviable, he said.

Meetings

Saying that the State government was committed to expediting railway projects in the State, he said he had held meetings with the Union Minister and Railway officials to sort out contentious issues.