The Hindu : Karnataka News : Projects in the doldrums

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Monday, Nov 05, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Projects in the doldrums

It is estimated that Rs. 100-cr. works are in a limbo

Many of the development works taken up in Shimoga district in the last 20 months are in a state of neglect because of the political uncertainty. With this, the dream of the former Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to make Shimoga — his home district — a “model” district in the State seems to have remained unfulfilled after the BJP withdrew from the coalition government.

Shimoga district never saw the kind of development it did in the last 20 months, and it was no exaggeration that it would not have been possible but for the personal initiative taken by Mr. Yeddyurappa as Minister in charge of the district.

However, the development projects came to a grinding halt as fast as they were launched by the government.

It is estimated that the development works taken up with an estimated cost of about Rs.100 crore are in a limbo.

The major casualties on account of the political uncertainty are the construction of the new bridge across the Tunga at an estimated cost of Rs. 7 crore; the concretisation of the B.H. Road from the old Tunga bridge to the bus stand at an estimated cost of Rs. 22 crore; the railway overbridge near the railway station on Honnali road at an estimated cost of Rs.15 crore; the construction of the Suvarna Karnataka Samskrutika Bhavan at an estimated of Rs. 3.5 crore; the Mini-Vidhana Soudha at an estimated cost of Rs. 5 crore; and the expansion of the private bus stand and renovation of the KSRTC bus stand at a cost of Rs. 20 crore.

Apart from it, there has not been much headway in the construction of the airport at Sogane, about 7 km from here, after the process of acquiring nearly 600 acres, including the 390-acre government land, was completed after paying compensation to the landholders.

It was claimed that it was for the first time that the ex gratia payment was made to the farmers engaged in “bagair hukum” (unauthorised) cultivation as a special case even though there is no provision for it.

The work on the airport is yet to begin as the global tenders have not been finalised.

Work has not commenced on the construction of the Mini-Vidhana Soudha after the demolition of the old Deputy Commissioner’s office.

The progress in the expansion of the private bus stand and the renovation of the KSRTC bus stand has been tardy.

While the renovation is going on at the KSRTC bus stand at a slow pace, work on the expansion of the private bus stand is yet to begin although the government gave administrative clearance and released funds for it.

The people’s concern is whether the development works launched with much fanfare would see the light of the day in the changed political circumstances.

Pramod Mellegatti IN SHIMOGA

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