From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sept 8: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has urged the Union Railway Ashwini Vaishnav to start the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project to ease traffic congestion in the city.

The Chief Minister, who met the Union Railway Minister in Delhi on Wednesday, pointed out that the Suburban Railway Project has already received administrative approval but a concessional agreement between Karnataka and K-Ride, the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to implement the project, needs to be signed.

``I have urged the Union Minister to facilitate early discussion between senior officials to expedite the matter and start the project,’’ Bommai told reporters in Delhi after the meeting.

The Chief Minister said Karnataka has been pressing the Union Railway Ministry to start a Railway Division in Kalaburgi to give an impetus to the development of the region. The Hubballi-Ankola Railway line has been pending for a long time as the matter is before the High Court. The new detailed project report (DPR) has been challenged in the court and it has been stayed.

``I have urged the Union Minister to ensure that necessary steps to get the stay vacated and start the work at the earliest,’’ he said.

Water Resources Minister Govind M Karjol and Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Manjunath Prasad accompanied the Chief Minister during the meeting.Gadkari urged to take up Satellite Ring Road Project

The Chief Minister called on Union Surface Transport and National Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and urged him to take up the Satellite Ring Road Project on a priority basis to ease the traffic congestion in the city.

Bommai reminded the Union Minister his approval for taking up the pending works of Satellite Ring Road Project taken up under the Bharat Mala scheme during his meeting with his predecessor B S Yediyurappa and that the State Government has already issued an agreement letter to bear 30% of the cost of Rs 1,560 crore.

He also urged the Union Minister to immediately release Rs 184.85 crore for the repairs of national highways in the State, which were badly damaged during the floods and landslides.

Taking up the ShiradiGhat Tunnel bypass work and Vijayapura-Sankeshwar highway improvement works were also discussed with the Centre, the Chief Minister said.

Bommai said the DPRs for upgrading 4 state highways into National Highways have been submitted as they have received in principle approvals and wanted the notifications to be issued soon.

State Public Works Minister C CPatil and Revenue Minister R Ashok accompanied the Chief Minister during the meeting.

The Chief Minister also called on Union Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Ports, Shipping and Ayush Minister SarbanandaSonowal and Union Minister of State for Skills Development Rajiv Chandrashekar and held discussions on various issues pertaining to the State.

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