Shiradi Ghat tunnel work to start in 6 months

Public Works Minister H D Revanna told the Council on Friday that work on the 21-km-long tunnel proposed along Shiradi Ghat, connecting Bengaluru with Mangaluru, would commence in six months.

He was replying to a question by Tejaswini Gowda. Revanna said funds to the tune of Rs 1,896.13 crore were required for restoring the state highways in Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts.

Replying to a question by K T Srikantegowda, Revanna said that the widening of Mysuru-Bengaluru highway had been undertaken in two packages of Rs 3,501 crore and Rs 2,919.81 crore and the 10-lane highway would have service roads and bypasses at Channapatna and Ramanagar, along with elevated roads.

The minister said the observation made by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the losses to the exchequer due to low annual lease rent for Golf Club, Bengaluru, had come to his notice and that the government would take necessary action.

T A Saravana, during Question Hour, said 60 acres land in the heart of Bengaluru had been given out on an annual lease rent of Rs 10,000. During inspection by the members of PAC, it was found that the government had incurred a loss of Rs 383 crore over the years.