Railway Minister assures HDK to include Hejjala-Chamarajanagar project in next Budget
The Hindu
Revival of Hejjala-Chamarajanagar railway project in upcoming Union Budget assured by Railway Minister to Mr. Kumaraswamy.
The long-pending Hejjala-Chamarajanagar railway line project passing through Kanakapura, Malavalli, and Kollegal is expected to be revived with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw assuring Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy to include the project in the forthcoming Union Budget.
A statement from the office of Mr. Kumaraswamy, who is also an MP representing the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency, said Mr. Kumaraswamy recently met Mr. Vaishnaw and took up the matter relating to the railway project, which will benefit the people of not only Mandya but also Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, and Bengaluru Rural districts.
Mr. Kumaraswamy had forwarded a copy of the letter written by former MLA representing Malavalli (reserved) Assembly constituency K. Annadani to the Railway Minister seeking early sanction for the project and help realise the long-pending dream of the people of the region. “Mr. Vaishnaw has assured Mr. Kumaraswamy that the project will be included in the next Budget,” said a statement from the office of Mr. Kumaraswamy.
According to sources in Railways, the 140-km-long new railway project between Hejjala on the outskirts of Bengaluru and the border district of Chamarajanagar passing through Kanakapura, Malavalli and Kollegal had been approved by the Railways way back in 1996-97.
The project was expected to connect the vast hinterland of Chamarajanagar, Mandya, and Ramanagaram districts with the benefits of a railway network while giving a boost to businesses in economic centres like Kollegal and Malavalli with direct connectivity to Bengaluru. Apart from the agrarian economy, the region also has a Government Cocoon Market in Kollegal with a large number of farmers practicing sericulture in the area.
Presently, commuters from Chamarajanagar have to traverse 60 kms to Mysuru before reaching Bengaluru, which is another 140 kms away.
As part of the proposed 260-km-long Bengaluru-Sathyamangalam railway line, the 140-km-long Hejjala-Chamarajanagar railway project requires the acquisition of 1,735 acres of land including 841 acres in Ramanagara district, 526.29 acres in Mandya district, 225.39 acres in Chamarajanagar district besides 31.24 acres in Bengaluru Urban district.
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