PRESTIGIOUS PROJECT: Bangalore-Mysore railway track doubling work will be taken up soon. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: Industrial growth in Mysore is set to receive a big boost as doubling of the railway track between Bangalore and Mysore will be taken up in due course.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad responded positively to an all-party delegation from the State which met him in Delhi recently. When completed, Mysore will be an attractive proposition for investors who are viewing it as an alternative to Bangalore. Multi-national companies and software majors who are looking for expansion beyond Bangalore will find an ideal destination in Mysore given the high-speed connectivity and thus help boost industrialisation of the city.

The issue was shrouded in confusion with the State Government maintaining that it had given its share of funds and it was for the Railways to take up the project, whereas the latter had blamed the State for not releasing its share of money. But now the Chief Minister has made it clear that the Government has released Rs. 25 crore for the track doubling work this year.

The track doubling work between the two cities is a long-pending demand of the people of Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts and is expected to benefit Bangalore rural, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar and Madikere and Hassan districts. The 139-km stretch between the two cities is a single-line track and is saturated with nearly 24 pairs of trains that operate on a daily basis apart from the goods trains.

In the absence of a double line, trains are given stops to facilitate switch over to ensure that the pathway is clear and this increases the commuting time. The distance between the two cities is covered in three hours, but could as well be covered in 90 minutes if the two cities are served by a double line track.

The cost of the project is expected to be between Rs. 225 crore and Rs. 350 crore and the State and the Railways have agreed to take up the work on a cost-sharing basis.

But this became a bone of contention as the State insisted that the cost should be shared on a 50:50 ratio but the Railways insisted that it would foot only one-third of the cost and the State should foot two-third. In the process, the project hit a roadblock. Mysore MP C.H. Vijayshankar had apprised Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of the importance of the project and the latter had promised all help to put the project on the fast track.

Assurance

Subsequently, Mr. Kumaraswamy gave a written assurance to the Railway Minister on February 22, 2006 in which he pointed out that "track doubling between Bangalore and Mysore was one of the foremost issues" and the Government was of the view that provision of a high capacity speed and high frequency rail link would simultaneously address the two of the serious concerns - of speedy economic development of Mysore and reduce congestion and growth pressure on Bangalore.

The Chief Minister's letter to Mr. Prasad also promised timely release of funds so that the project could be completed within the next three years and the Karnataka's share of Rs. 230 crore would be released based on the physical progress of the project. Hence, the promise to the Chief Minister and the all-party delegation by the Railway Minister underlines that that the project has not been put on the backburner and the State is serious about it.

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