Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 13: Several key railway projects in Karnataka have been stalled due to delays in land acquisition by the state government, even as the Centre has significantly increased budgetary support for infrastructure development in the state.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that Karnataka requires 9,020 hectares of land for various railway works, of which 63% (5,679 ha) has been acquired, while 3,341 ha remains pending.
He said the Dharwad–Belagavi via Kittur new line (73 km), sanctioned on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis with the state, has been held up entirely due to the delay in handing over land. As per the cost-sharing agreement, land is to be provided free of cost by the state government.
Other projects facing major delays because of pending land include: 333 ha for the Shivamogga–Rannebennur new line (96 km), 581 ha for the Belagavi-Dharwad new line (73 km), 488 ha for the Shivamogga–Harihar new line (79 km), 337 ha for the Whitefield–Kolar new line (53 km) and 206 ha for the Hassan–Belur new line (32 km).
Responding to concerns over delays and cost escalations, Vaishnaw noted that project timelines depend on land acquisition, statutory clearances, forest permissions, utility shifting, topographical challenges and law-and-order conditions — all of which can affect both cost and pace of work.
“The Centre is fully prepared to execute these projects, but timely progress depends heavily on the support and cooperation of the state government,” he said.
The minister highlighted that annual budgetary outlay for Karnataka has risen sharply from Rs 835 crore per year during 2009–14 to Rs 7,564 crore in 2025–26, an increase of more than nine times.
As of April 1, 2025, a total of 25 sanctioned projects — comprising 15 new lines and 10 doubling works covering 3,264 km and costing Rs 42,517 crore — fall completely or partly within Karnataka. Of these, 1,394 km have been commissioned so far, with an expenditure of Rs 21,310 crore.
Recently completed projects include the Kottur–Harihar, Hassan–Bengaluru, Bidar–Kalburagi sections and several other doubling works across Shivamogga, Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Arsikere and Hubballi.
Meanwhile, major ongoing projects such as the Hospet–Hubballi–Londa–Vasco doubling, Hotgi–Gadag doubling, and new lines including Gadag–Wadi, Bagalkot–Kudachi, Tumakuru–Rayadurga and Tumakuru–Davanagere continue to progress, Vaishnaw added.