'Free B'luru of level crossings'

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, directed officials to make the City free of railway level crossings.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting chaired by the chief minister to review railway projects in the State, Infrastructure Development Minister Roshan Baig said, the government has decided to immediately release Rs 26 crore required for completing six on-going Railway Over Bridge (ROB) and Railway Under Bridge (RUB) projects in the BBMP limits. Some of these projects have been delayed, he said.

The BBMP has to provide its share – a total of Rs 57 crore – to the Railways for the implementation of these projects. For instance, a project taken up near Baiyappanahalli has been delayed as the BBMP has not provided the funds - Rs 5.42 crore towards acquiring defence land. Similarly, the BBMP has to give Rs 15.38 crore for implementing another project at Jakkur.

Nearly 90 per cent of the ROB project taken up at Allasandra is over. But its completion has been delayed as the BBMP is yet to deposit its share of Rs 8.26 crore, he said.

Fiteen ROB and RUB projects have been taken up to make Bengaluru free of railway level crossings, he said.