Bidar: The Bidar-Gulbarga railway line that will prove to be a vital link between south India and New Delhi has been given a token outlay in the Railway Budget. The Centre has sanctioned only Rs. 10 crores for the line that is estimated to cost Rs. 369.70 crores.

When completed, the line will reduce the train travel distance between New Delhi and south India by over 380 km. It will help boost development of industries and tourism in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

The then Railway Minister Bangaru Lakshman had laid the foundation stone for the line in 2000. He had promised to commission it in five years. But not even land acquisition has been completed for the project so far.

The 140-km line is expected to cost Rs. 369.7 crores. Of the 53 km in Bidar district, land for 30 km has been acquired and handed over to the Railways. The Railways has completed earthwork in nearly half this area.

Acquisition procedure for the rest of the land in Bidar is nearing completion. The district authorities are confident of completing the process by the end of March.

Sources in the Government said the work is slower in Gulbarga.

Not even the preliminary notification (under section 4/1 of the Karnataka Land Acquisition Act) has been issued there.

Another major problem has been sanctioning of token grants to the project.

In 2000-01, the Railways set aside Rs. 5 crores. In 2001-02, the outlay was Rs. 10 crores; in 2002-2003 it was Rs. 15 crores while in 2003-2004 it was Rs. 15 crores. In the last Budget, Rs. 10 crores were allocated.

If the Government continues with such small releases, then the project will not be completed even in the next 30 years, officials say.

"Not even one metre of the railway line has been laid in Bidar district in the last 100 years. The Railway Ministry should consider this fact and funds should be released," says Ashok Hokrani, secretary of the Vivekananda Abhivriddhi Vedike, a Bidar-based non-governmental organisation.

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