Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Hyderabad-Karnataka region gets a raw deal

GULBARGA: The four districts in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region seem to have got a raw deal in the selection of roadworks under Phase 1-A of the World Bank-assisted Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project-II.

The State Government originally proposed to upgrade 3,411 km of State highways and sought World Bank assistance.

However, the World Bank did not evince interest in funding the entire project and extended around Rs. 1,000 crore for upgrading and maintenance, it is learnt.

Official sources said here on Sunday that in view of the limited assistance from the World Bank, the State Government decided to restrict the coverage to 584 km, and on its part provided Rs. 200 crore.

It also decided to review all the earlier proposals and take up work on some major highways which required immediate attention.

Of the four districts, while some attention has been given to Gulbarga, Raichur, Koppal and Bidar have been neglected.

In Gulbarga district, the Government has decided to upgrade 32.69 km of the Gulbarga-Chowdapur Road and in Koppal district, the 10-km stretch from Gangavati to Kampli.

In the original proposal, many State highways in Bidar, Raichur, Gulbarga and Koppal had been included.

The former Public Works Minister N. Dharam Singh took the initiative for securing assistance from the World Bank for improving the State highways.

The Bidar-Srirangapatna State highway passing through Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur, and Koppal districts was included in the Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project-I.

In the original proposal for Gulbarga district, the authorities had included the 99-km stretch from Gulbarga to Hosur passing through Chowdapur and Afzalpur, which is in a very bad state.

Now, the Government has decided to upgrade only 24-km of this road from Gulbarga to Chowdapur to provide good network to Deval Ganagapur, which is eight km from Chowdapur and is a pilgrim centre.

However, the stretch of road from Chowdapur to Hosur, which is in a very bad shape, has not been included in the proposal.

On the other hand, districts in south Karnataka and Bombay Karnataka appear to have got the lion’s share.

Following is the list of the roads covered under the project: Gangavati-Kampli-Kuditini (41 km); Hassan Arakalgud (31.1 km); Chikkodi to Nippani (23.8 km); Dharwad-Saundatti (38.6 km); Haveri-Hangal (31.9 km); Bantwal-Belthangadi (35.4 km); Bagewadi-Bailongal (23.9 km); Koratagere-Madhugiri (17.9 km); Madhugiri-Pavagada (38.9 km); Chowdapur-Gulbarga (32.69 km); Mundargi-Hadagali (23.99 km); Hadagali-Harapanahalli (27.66 km); Kowdley-Mandya (33.8 km); Hoskote-Hindgnala Cross (23.9 km); Hindgnala Cross to Chintamani Bypass (24.7 km); Malavalli-Maddur (23.2 km); Huliyurdurga-Kunigal (23.1 km); Kunigal-Tumkur (38.2 km), and Tumkur - Kortagere (25.1 km).

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