ತುಮಕೂರು-ಅರಸೀಕೆರೆ ಜೋಡಿ ಮಾರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ಒಪ್ಪಿಗೆ

ಬಹು ಬೇಡಿಕೆಯ ತುಮಕೂರು-ಅರಸೀಕೆರೆ ಜೋಡಿ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಮಾರ್ಗ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಇಲಾಖೆ ಒಪ್ಪಿಗೆ ನೀಡಿದೆ. ಸುಮಾರು 347 ಕೋಟಿ ರೂ. ವೆಚ್ಚದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿ ನಡೆಯಲಿದ್ದು, 2015ರ ಅಕ್ಟೋಬರ್‌ ವೇಳೆಗೆ ಆರಂಭವಾಗುವ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆ ಇದೆ. ನೈಋತ್ಯ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ವಲಯದ ಮೈಸೂರು ವಿಭಾಗಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದ ಈ ಪ್ರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಜೋಡಿ ಹಳಿ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸುವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸಮೀಕ್ಷೆ ನಡೆಸಿ ಇಲಾಖೆಗೆ ವರದಿಯನ್ನು ನೀಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತು. ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಬಜೆಟ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಒಪ್ಪಿಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದ್ದು 21 ಕೋಟಿ ಅನುದಾನ ಮೀಸಲಾಗಿಡಲಾಗಿದೆ.  ಸುಮಾರು 96 ಕಿ.ಮೀ. ನಡುವಿನ ಈ ಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಜೋಡಿ ಹಳಿ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣ ಮಾಡಲು ತಗಲುವ ವೆಚ್ಚ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಯೋಜನೆಯ ವಿಸ್ತ್ರೃತ ವರದಿಯನ್ನು ತಯಾರಿಸಿ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಇಲಾಖೆ ಮಾ.20ರಂದು ಸಲ್ಲಿಕೆ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಇದನ್ನು ಪರಿಶೀಲನೆ ನಡೆಸಿದ ಬಳಿಕ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿ ಆರಂಭಿಸಲು ಒಪ್ಪಿಗೆ ನೀಡಲಾಗಿದೆ. [ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಬಜೆಟ್ ಮುಖ್ಯಾಂಶಗಳು] ಯೋಜನೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳು, ನಕ್ಷೆ ಮುಂತಾದ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆಗಳು 2015ರ ಸೆಪ್ಟೆಂಬರ್ ಅಂತ್ಯದೊಳಗೆ ಪೂರ್ಣಗೊಳ್ಳುವ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಇದ್ದು, ಅಕ್ಟೋಬರ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿ ಆರಂಭವಾಗಲಿದೆ. ಈ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿ ಆರಂಭವಾದರೆ ಈ ಭಾಗದ ಜನರ ಬಹುದಿನದ ಬೇಡಿಕೆ ಈಡೇರಿದಂತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅರಸೀಕೆರೆ-ತುಮಕೂರು ಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವಾರು ರೈಲುಗಳು ಸಂಚಾರ ನಡೆಸಲಿದ್ದು ಜೋಡಿ ಮಾರ್ಗದ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿತ್ತು. ಈ ಬಾರಿಯ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಬಜೆಟ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಲು ಒಪ್ಪಿಗೆ ನೀಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತು.

Karnataka approves Rs23,383 crore worth projects ahead of global investor meet

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Monday said it had approved six investment proposals worth Rs.23,383 crore at a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah, ahead of the state’s global investor summit scheduled for next month.

Among the proposals that got the nod is the Rs.14,800 crore investment by Karnataka Solar Power Development Corp. Ltd for setting up a 2,000 megawatt (MW) solar park in Tumkur district, some 70 km from Bengaluru.

Of the other two fresh investment proposals, one worth Rs.1,889 crore, is by Minerva Steel Pvt. Ltd to build a steel plant, and another worth Rs.1,352 crore is by Wadi Cement Co. Pvt. Ltd to build a cement plant.

The rest of the approvals were given for expansion projects, including a Rs.4,570 crore investment by Udupi Power Corp. Ltd to increase its power generation unit’s capacity in Udupi from 1,200 MW to 2,800 MW, a Rs.620 crore expansion proposal by Tata Power Kirloskar in Kolar and a Rs.150 crore proposal by Toyota Textile Machinery Pvt. Ltd in Bengaluru.

Once they take off, the investments will generate employment for 10,407 people, the government said.

As Karnataka prepares for the global investor summit, the government is targeting a total of Rs.1 trillion in investment in the next 40 days, K. Ratna Prabha, additional chief secretary in the industries department, told Mint in an interaction.

“We have already received proposals worth Rs.62,770 crore for the meet, out of which Rs.24,577 crore has been cleared. The rest is in the pipeline. Our aim is to getRs.40,000 crore or so in the next 40 days to reach a realistic target of Rs.1 trillion in this meet,” said Ratna Prabha.

While the chief minister clears projects under Rs.100 crore, those involving larger investments are approved by the state’s high-level clearance committee.

To be sure, the approval means the government has cleared certain requirements for the project to take off. It would take a considerable time for the commitments to actually translate to projects on the ground.

Mint reported on 25 December that only 9% of the commitments made at the state’s 2012 Global Investors Meet had been realised.

PM lays foundation for HAL's new helicopter plant in Tumkur

The construction work for the new helicopter manufacturing unit of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Tumkur district in Karnataka has begun with Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiling a plaque for the foundation stone of the new plant on January 3, 2015.
 
Speaking on the occasion, Modi said that the manufacturing unit coming up in Tumkur would not be an ordinary one, but one which would make the whole world take notice.
 
He added, “Indian Armed Forces are second to none, and now the time has come to ensure that the weapons and equipment they carry and use are also the best in the world. For this, India needs to end dependence on imported weaponry, which is expensive and is not of the latest technology.”
 
With its Make in India initiative, the centre has decided to lay stress on manufacturing of defence equipment within the country. “Helicopters manufactured in Tumkur will serve soldiers stationed in remote locations. About 4000 families will directly or indirectly get livelihood due to this factory,” said Modi.
 
The first helicopter built in this unit is expected to take flight by 2018.
 
The Governor of Karnataka Vajubhai Vala, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, union ministers Manohar Parrikar, D V Sadananda Gowda and Ananth Kumar were also present on the occasion.

Seven State highways to be upgraded as NH

 The Union Ministry of Surface Transport has said that 1,668.03-km stretch of seven State highways in Karnataka will be upgraded to national highways.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would award the contracts and the work would commence soon.

Service roads

Minister for Public Works Department H.C. Mahadevappa told presspersons here on Tuesday that the Union Ministry of Surface Transport took the decision at a meeting on March 4, 2014. The NHAI had been told to develop service roads in the nearby towns for the convenience of local residents.

Project reports

Land would be acquired and compensation paid to the families concerned in accordance with the new land acquisition law passed by the Union government. The NHAI would prepare detailed project reports and workout the cost of upgrading each road, he said.

The seven State Highways to be upgraded to national highways are: new NH 161 – Nanded Road in Maharashtra connecting Bidar, Humnabad, Gulbarga, Jewargi, Bijapur, Hospet and connecting NH 48 near Lakshmisagar (260.81 km); new NH 50 – Jewargi-Siruguppa-Bellary-Hiriyur-Chikkanayakanahalli-Nagamangala-Srirangapatna-Mysore- Nanjangud (618.62 km); NH 73 – Mudigere-Chikmagalur-Kadur (72 km); NH 75 – Bantwal-Puttur-Sullia-Madikeri-Periyapatna-Mysore-Srirangapatna -Mandya-Ramanagaram-Bangalore (367.46 km); NH 67 – Bhanapur-Kukkunur-Yelburga-Gajendragad-Badami-Guledagudda-Bagalkot- Gadankeri (156.62 km); NH 50 – Gulbarga-Chowdapur-Afzalpur-Solapur (Maharashtra) (104.80 km) and NH 169 – Tirthahalli- Agumbe-Hebri-Udupi (87.60 km).

The Minister said the State government urged the NHAI to upgrade a stretch of 203 km between Tumkur and Shimoga to a four-lane road, at a meeting held in New Delhi on May 5.

The NHAI was also advised to upgrade four roads to national highways. They are Mysore-Bannur-Malavalli (45 km), Khanapur-Talaguppa-Bhatkal (296 km), Belgaum-Bagalkot-Raichur- Mahbubnagar and Sankeshwar-Gokak-Yaragatti-Jagalur (335 km). 

Work on Tumkur-Shimoga road widening to begin soon

The work on widening the Tumkur-Shimoga stretch of National Highway 206 into four-lane will begin soon, Minister for Public Works H.C. Mahadevappa has said.

“The project cost for widening this 185-km stretch is estimated to be Rs. 1,500 crore. The Union government has agreed to release funds. It work will be implemented on engineering, procurement and construction basis,” he told presspersons here on Wednesday.

Similarly, the Chitradurga-Shimoga stretch of National Highway 13 would be widened into two-lane. An amount of Rs. 326 crore would be spent for widening this 140 km stretch. Tenders had been floated and the government had issued the work order, he said.

The Union government had agreed to upgrade the State highway connecting Tirthahalli town and Udupi via Agumbe ghat into a national highway. The width of this road would be increased from 5.5 metre to 10 metre.

“The work is estimated to cost Rs. 1,454 crore,” he said.

Karnataka received Rs. 1,000 crore under Central Road Fund this year. It would be used for maintenance of 2,000 km of roads, he said.

The State government had earmarked Rs. 2,400 crore for the Karnataka State Highway Development Project (KSHDP).

The first phase of widening and upgrading of 1,234 km roads under KSHDP would be completed soon. Another 4,000 km roads would be upgraded in the second phase, he said.

ಬದಲಾಗದ ತುಮಕೂರು ರೈಲು ನಿಲ್ದಾಣದ ಚಿತ್ರ

ತುಮಕೂರು: ನಗರದ ರೈಲು ಚಿತ್ರಣ ಬದಲಾಗು­ವಂತೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಸೌಲಭ್ಯಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ವನವಾಸ ಇನ್ನೂ ಮುಂದುವರೆದಿದೆ. ಹನ್ನೆರಡು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆಯೇ ನಗರದ ರೈಲು ನಿಲ್ದಾಣದ ಚಹರೆಯೇ ಬದಲಾಗಿ ಹೋಯಿತು ಎಂದು  ಪ್ರಯಾ­ಣಿಕರು ಕನಸು ಕಂಡಿದ್ದರು. ಆದರೆ ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಕನಸು ಕನಸಾಗಿಯೇ ಉಳಿದಿದೆ.
ನಗರ ರೈಲು ನಿಲ್ದಾಣವನ್ನು ಮೇಲ್ದರ್ಜೆಗೇರಿಸ­ಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಜನರ ಒತ್ತಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಇಲಾಖೆ ಬಿಡಿಗಾಸಿನ ಬೆಲೆ ನೀಡಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬುದು ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ ನೋಡಿ­ದರೆ ವೇದ್ಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಸಂಸದ ಜಿ.ಎಸ್‌.­ಬಸವರಾಜ್‌ ಕೂಡ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಪಡಿಸ­ಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಕೇಂದ್ರ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಸಚಿವರಿಗೆ ಪತ್ರ ಬರೆ­ದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಆದರೂ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾತ್ರ ವೇಗ ಪಡೆದು­ಕೊಂಡಿಲ್ಲ.
ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ ಮೂಲ ಸೌಕರ್ಯ ಕೊರತೆಯಿಂದ ನರಳುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಗ್ರಾಮಾಂತರ ಪ್ರದೇಶದ ರೈಲು ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ­ದಲ್ಲಿರು­ವಂತಹ ಕನಿಷ್ಠ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯ ಇಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲವಾಗಿದೆ. ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ­ದಲ್ಲಿ ರೈಲುಗಳು ನಿಂತಾಗ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರು ಶೌಚಾ­ಲಯ ಬಳಕೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ಈ ರೈಲು ಹಳಿಗಳನ್ನು ಸ್ವಚ್ಛತೆ ಮಾಡುವ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲವಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ಗಬ್ಬು ನಾರುತ್ತಿದೆ.
ಗೂಡ್ಸ್ ಶೆಡ್‌ ಅನ್ನು  ಕ್ಯಾತ್ಸಂದ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಸ್ಥಳಾಂತರಿಸ­ಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಬೇಡಿಕೆ 12 ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದಲೂ ಇದೆ. ಈಗ ಈ ಕೆಲಸ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿದೆಯಾದರೂ ಆಮೆಗತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ.  ಇನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ದಾಣದ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಯಾವಾಗ ಎಂಬುದು ಯಕ್ಷ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಯಾಗಿದೆ.
ವಿಶ್ರಾಂತಿ ಗೃಹಕ್ಕೂ ಬೀಗ ಜಡಿಯುವ ಕಾರಣ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರಿಗೆ ಇದ್ದು ಇಲ್ಲದಂತಾಗಿದೆ. ರಾತ್ರಿ ವೇಳೆ ತಂಗಲು ಒಂದೇ ಒಂದು ವಸತಿ ಕೊಠಡಿ ಇದೆ­ಯಾದರೂ ಇದು ಪ್ರಯೋಜನಕ್ಕೆ ಬರುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರು ದೂರುತ್ತಾರೆ.
ಒಂದೇ ಒಂದು ಟಿಕೆಟ್‌ ಕೌಂಟರ್‌ ತೆರೆಯುವ ಕಾರಣ ಟಿಕೆಟ್‌ ಪಡೆಯಲು ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರು ಹರ­ಸಾಹಸ ಪಡಬೇಕಿದೆ. ಎಷ್ಟೋ ವೇಳೆ ಟಿಕೆಟ್‌ ಕೊಳ್ಳುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ರೈಲುಗಾಡಿಗಳು ಚಲಿಸಿ ವಾಪಸ್‌ ಬರುವಂತಹ ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶವೂ ಇದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ಅಳಲಾಗಿದೆ.
ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ವಿಚಾರಣೆ ಕೌಂಟರ್‌ಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಲೆಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲವಾಗಿದೆ. ಯಾವ ಟ್ರೈನ್‌ ಎಷ್ಟು ಗಂಟೆಗೆ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ, ಟಿಕೆಟ್‌ ದರ ಮತ್ತಿತರ ಮಾಹಿತಿ­ಯನ್ನೇ ಸಿಬ್ಬಂದಿ ಕೊಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕ­ರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸೌಜನ್ಯದ ನಡವಳಿಕೆ ತೋರುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ರೈಲು ನಿಲ್ದಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಬೇಕೆಂದರೆ ದಿಗಿಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂದು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಔಷಧಿ ವ್ಯಾಪಾರಿಗಳ ಸಂಘದ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಜವಹರ್‌ ದೂರಿದರು.
ರೈಲುಗಳು ಸರಿಯಾದ  ಸಮಯ ಪರಿಪಾಲನೆ ಕೂಡ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಸಮಯ ಆಚೀಚೆ ಆದಾಗ ಆ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ನೀಡದ ಕಾರಣ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರು ಪರದಾಟ ಹೇಳತೀರದಾಗಿದೆ.
ರಾಜ್ಯದ 19 ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಗಳಿಗೆ ನಗರ ಹೆಬ್ಬಾಗಿಲು ಕೂಡ ಆಗಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ರೈಲು ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ದಟ್ಟಣೆ ಕೂಡ ಹೆಚ್ಚುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆಗೆ ಅನುಗುಣವಾಗಿ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯ ಕಲ್ಪಿಸಿಲ್ಲ. ಕನಿಷ್ಠ ಕುಡಿಯುವ ನೀರು ಸಹ ಇಲ್ಲವಾಗಿದೆ. ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳು ಕೆಟ್ಟು ನಿಂತಿರುವುದು ಕಾಣುತ್ತದೆ.
ಗೂಡ್ಸ್‌ಶೆಡ್‌ ಕಾಲೊನಿ ಕೂಡಲೇ ಸ್ಥಳಾಂತರಿಸ­ಬೇಕು. ಒಮ್ಮೊಮ್ಮೆ ಸಿಮೆಂಟ್ ಮತ್ತಿತರ ಸಾಮಗ್ರಿಗಳು ಬಂದಾಗ ಇಡೀ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ ದೂಳಿನಿಂದ ಕೂಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಗ ನಿಲ್ಲಲೂ ಕೂಡ ಸಾಧ್ಯ­ವಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಶೌಚಾಲಯ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯೂ ಸರಿ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಈ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣವನ್ನು ಇಲಾಖೆ ಕಡೆಗಣಿಸಿದೆ. ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಮನವಿ ನೀಡಿದರೂ ಅದಕ್ಕೂ ಸ್ಪಂದಿಸಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ತುಮಕೂರು–ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ರೈಲು ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ವೇದಿಕೆಯ ಶಿವು ಹೇಳಿದರು.

Works on new Railway Lines yet to start for want of land in Karnataka

Bangalore (SBC) / Hubli (UBL): The South Western Railway is unable to commence work on two new railway lines that would have reduced railroad distance between important cities in the State, for want of land.

The State government has not handed over even one acre of land for the Tumkur-Rayadurg new line, via Kalyandurg (207 km), that was announced in the 2007-08 Railway budget, and the Tumkur-Davangere new line, via Sira (200 km), announced in the 2011-12 budget, according to sources in the South Western Railway.

The two new lines, if completed, would reduce the distance between Bangalore and Bellary by at least 30 km and between Bangalore and Hubli by 60 km, respectively. Now, trains from Bangalore run via Tumkur, Birur, Chitradurga, Rayadurg (464 km) or via Hindupur and Guntakal (358 km) to Bellary. The distance between Bangalore and Bellary via Tumkur and Rayadurg will be 321 km, the sources said.

Both the projects are taken up on cost sharing basis (50:50) between the Railways and the two State governments, while the State governments have to provide land free. Sources said that 17 km of new line has been laid from Rayadurg in Andhra Pradesh and 9 km would be added by this month-end. Also, work on a major bridge across the Vedavathi in Andhra Pradesh has commenced. However, there has been no physical progress in Karnataka, they added.

The line would also have provided rail connectivity to backward regions in Karnataka — Koratagere, Madhugiri and Pavagada. However, not a single acre of the 1,342 acres of land required for the project in the State has been given to the South Western Railway, the sources said.

Reduced distance

Similar is the case with the Tumkur-Davangere new line. The railroad distance between the two cities is 326 km on the circuitous route via Tumkur, Arsikere and Birur. The proposed line via Sira, Chitradurga and Bharamasagar (along National Highway 4) would just be 265 km.

The railroad distance between Bangalore and Chitradurga, now 312 km, via Birur and Chikjajur, would come down to 205 km. Under this project too, no land has been given to the South Western Railway, while the land required for the project is 2,961 acres. South Western Railway has written letters urging the government to expedite the process of land acquisition, the sources said. Besides these two new lines, work on Whitefield-Kolar (52.9 km); Marikuppam-Kuppam (23.7 km); Chikmagalur-Sakleshpur (47 km) and Hejjala-Chamarajanagar (140 km) new lines and Hosadurga-Chikjajur line doubling has not commenced yet for want of land, the sources added.

• Tumkur-Rayadurg line announced in 2007-08
• Tumkur-Davangere line sanctioned in 2011-12