V. Somanna, the Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti, chaired an extensive review meeting today at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Belagavi to assess the progress of the Belagavi-Dharwad New Railway Line project. This significant infrastructure project is set to enhance rail connectivity between the key districts of Belagavi and Dharwad, promising to boost socio-economic growth in the region.
During the meeting, it was discussed that a total of 600 acres of land is required in Belagavi district, while 288 acres are needed in Dharwad district for the project. Mohammad Roshan, Deputy Commissioner of Belagavi, assured the Minister that the land acquisition process in Belagavi is on track, with 80% of the required land expected to be acquired by December 2024 and complete acquisition by January 2025. Meanwhile, in Dharwad district, the land acquisition is progressing, except for a stretch of 42 acres for which state Government of Karnataka proactively acquire and handover the land to railways at the earliest.
V. Somanna emphasized the need for accelerating the land acquisition process in both districts to ensure the project stays on schedule. He instructed the concerned officials to expedite efforts, highlighting the importance of adhering to deadlines and optimizing resource allocation to avoid delays. Discussions also focused on enhancing infrastructure support, with plans for the construction of five Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and one Road Under Bridge (RUB) in Belagavi district to facilitate improved connectivity and safety.
The review meeting was attended by several dignitaries, including Member of Parliament Iranna Kadadi, Smt. Divya Prabhu, Deputy Commissioner Dharwad (joined via video link), Rahul Shinde, Zilla Panchayat CEO of Belagavi, and Harsh Khare, Divisional Railway Manager of Hubballi Division, J. Sadharma Dev Royal, Chief Engineer (Construction-II) of Hubballi, along with senior officers from South Western Railway and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).
