JOIN US'Rail connectivity in State below national average'
He was speaking at the flagging off ceremony of the Yeshwantpur-Delhi Duronto Express on Saturday. “Once all the current projects are completed, the percentage will go up to 22,” he said.
He lauded the State government’s effort to help implement the projects on a cost-sharing basis and said this had become a model for states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
The Minister said that out of the 17 trains promised for the State in the Railway budget 2010-11, 14 had been flagged off and three were pending.
The other projects would be completed at the earliest, he said. Muniyappa assured the State Government that more projects would be included for the State in the forthcoming budget.
He said non-availability of land was the biggest hurdle in implementing the projects. “Normally, railway projects drag up to 20 years. If the land is made available, we can implement the projects within five years. Karnataka Government has been co-operative in this matter,” Muniyappa said.
Muniyappa said the UPA government, in the Railway budget 2010-2011, had announced 271 new train services, of which 240 had commenced operations. “Almost 90 percent of the announced trains are now operational,” he said.
V S Acharya, Minister for Higher Education, who was present on the occasion, said the State government had set aside Rs 600 crore for railway projects and requested the Union Minister to implement the projects at the earliest.
Mysore-B’lore track
Answering a query on the Mysore-Bangalore track doubling project, Muniyappa said work was in progress.
He said the project had hit a road block due to the non-availability of land near Ramanagar, but the matter would be resolved at the earliest.
Questioned about the Tumkur-Davangere railway project, he said work was in progress. On the Hubli-Ankola railway line, he said the matter was before the Supreme Court empowered committee.