SHIMOGA: People of Shimoga district pin hopes on the inclusion of long-pending railway projects in the Railway Budget on the eve of its presentation every year only to be disappointed when they are left out.

But the only ray of hope this time is that the gauge conversion between Shimoga and Talaguppa, one of the major demands of the Malnad region, finds place in the memorandum that Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will submit to Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, after discussing the matter with MPs from the State.

Apart from the gauge conversion, the other pending proposals are construction of overpasses near the railway station on Honnali Road and across Holehonnur Road.

The former Minister for State for Railways Basavaraj Patil Yatnal, who laid the foundation for the overpasses to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs.10 crores, had promised that the gauge conversion between Shimoga and Talaguppa would be completed by December 2005.

He had also announced that Rs. 11 crores had been earmarked for the first phase of the work in the Railway Budget and tenders for it had been finalised. But it was found that what was released was only Rs. 2.5 crores, which was subsequently diverted for the railway line laid to Shravanabelagola.

The need for overpasses at two places here can hardly be overlooked if congestion of traffic is any indication. The RITES company has prepared a plan for overpasses.

Though the Railway Department has given its approval for the construction of overpasses, it could not be taken up as the State Government did not release the matching grant. What came as a surprise was that Mr. Yatnal had laid the foundation stone for the overpasses even before the formalities were completed.

The allocation made in the Railway Budget for the gauge conversion so far is Rs. 2 crores as against the total cost of Rs. 100 crores which is meant to show that the proposal has not been dropped.

The gauge conversion work between Shimoga and Talaguppa is important as it forms a vital link between Bangalore and Mumbai and Goa if it is connected with Konkan Railway by extending the Shimoga-Talaguppa line up to Honnavar.

Various organisations in Sagar have staged agitations for the implementation of the long pending railway development projects in the district.

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