By Viju Mangalore

Mangalore, Jul 19: Perhaps Karnataka State is all set to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the most prolonged development project –  the Mangalore-Hassan Gauge Conversion.

One has to believe it that the ambitious gauge conversion project was taken up in 1996 and has completed 10 years. But the bane of the people is that project is still limping towards completion with several elements holding it back. 

Weigh down by the endless promises and assurances by the people’s representatives, the public seems to be annoyed at the way the system works. For those who have not lost hope on the completion of this project, Mangalore MP has some good news.

Returning from a meeting with Railway officials in Mysore, Mangalore MP D V Sadananda Gowda revealed that the passenger train between Mangalore and Bangalore will begin before September 30.

“The railway officials have also been worried about the snails pace development of the project and has felt tremendous pressure to complete it. Thus they have set up a cut-off date as September 30,” the MP said.

“All works of the gauge conversion have been completed except for work on two stations which has been delayed due to the rains,” Gowda added.

Reliable sources have revealed to Daijiworld that in 2005, there were landslides in 14 places along the railway line. Based on this experience, the Railway Safety Department has taken extra precaution. It will however deny clearance to the passenger train unless the rains subside and there is no threat of further landslide.

The MP has even given a guarantee that by October 30 the project will be complete. Will this mean that there is yet another chance of the project being delayed by one more month?

The Mangalore-Sakleshpur-Hassan railway line started in 1978. An historic event Indian Railway, the 162 kms length route is a picturesque journey through the Western Ghats. In 1996, the Railway Department decided to convert this line into a broad gauge and so began the long project, which led to hundreds of protests, submission of memorandums to the officials.

While there where handful of leaders who reaped political mileage from the slow pace of implementation, there were only few who really pressurized the government towards its completion.

The railway gauge conversion finally was complete, but railway engines never chugged on the new lines until the Mangalore-Kabaka began operational.

In May 2006, the goods train began its operation and there was fresh hope for a passenger train, which is likely to move on the track by September 30, 2006.

According to A Srinivas Rao, president of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the blame has to be put on the central government, which failed to respond to the peoples need and expedite the gauge conversion work.

District Secretary of CPIM K R Shriyan however has blamed the lack of political will shown by the previous MP’s of the region.

Above all the strong lobby of bus and lorry owners has played the spoilsport, opines the public. It is also alleged that this section, which did not want the passenger and goods railway line, as it would affect their trade, had pocketed the officials, which led to the delay in the project completion.

Travelling in the congested buses to Bangalore can now be forgotten as the passenger train promises a pleasant journey.

But the worm of doubt ever wriggles. Will it really happen this time?