As part of revolutionising railway infrastructure in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid foundation stone for upgrading six railway stations in Kalyana Karnataka, Wadi, Kalaburagi, Shahabad, Bidar, Koppal and Ballari, under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) on Sunday.
These railway stations are among the 13 in the State and 508 in the country that are being taken up for upgradation under the ambitious scheme.
As per details provided by the authorities, the total cost of the six projects is ₹150.1 crore. Wadi station is on the top in the region in terms of project cost (₹32.7 crore) followed by Kalaburagi (₹29.1 crore), Shahabad (₹26.1 crore), Bidar (₹24.4 crore), Koppal (₹21.1 crore) and Ballari (₹16.7 crore).
Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers and New and Renewable Energy Bhagwant Khuba, Lok Sabha member from Kalaburagi Umesh Jadhav, Lok Sabha member from Koppal Karadi Sanganna and Lok Sabha member from Ballari Y. Devendrappa led the foundation stone-laying ceremonies in their respective districts.
“There was a time when people thought that train services were meant for the poor. The Railways has, however, got rid of the tag by improving its infrastructure and the quality of travel services. Today, even rich people use train services because of the superior services that Railways is providing. At present, 50 Vande Bharat Express trains are operating nationwide. The number is expected to rise to 400 by next year,” Mr. Khuba said in Bidar after the foundation stone-laying ceremony.
In Kalaburagi, Mr. Jadhav said that the Railway Minister has positively responded to the demand for establishing a new Railway Division with Kalaburagi as its headquarters.
“I took a delegation of Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw with a list of demands, including the establishment of Kalaburagi Railway Division. The Minister has responded positively,” Mr. Jadhav said.
In Koppal, Mr. Sanganna said that the rail service between Koppal and Sindhanur will be a reality in a month.
“At present, we have rail services from Koppal to Karatagi. The work between Karatagi and Sindhanur is under way. It will be completed within a month and both Sindhanur and Koppal will be connected by rail by next month,” Mr. Sanganna said, appealing to the people and politicians to cooperate with the Union government in the development of the country.
In Ballari, Mr. Devendrappa promised to bring more funds from the Union government for the expansion of the railway network in the district.
“A railway overbridge at Sudha Cross in Ballari is a long-pending demand. It is now under tender. I will try to hasten the process and complete the work for uninterrupted movement of vehicles across the rail line,” Mr. Devendrappa said.
