The progress of the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project’s Corridor-4 (Kanaka Line) has hit a roadblock as the South Western Railways is yet to hand over land for the project, citing complexity as the primary concern, a PTI report stated. The Kanaka Line, which runs from Rajanukunte in the north to Heelalige in the south, traversing Baiyappanahalli and Yelahanka, is a crucial part of the suburban rail network.
The delay in transferring the land has drawn the attention of the Railway Board Gati Shakti director, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who urged the South Western Railway General Manager to expedite the process. In a letter dated October 27, Ahmed reminded the SWR GM that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a timeline of 40 months for the project’s completion when he laid the foundation stone on June 20, 2022.
The Gati Shakti Director noted that the unavailability of the required land for Corridor-4 is causing a delay in issuing the Letter of Agreement for the contract by Karnataka’s Rail Infrastructure Development Company Limited (K-RIDE). He mentioned that K-RIDE has submitted a proposal for 194.07 acres of railway land to the Zonal Railway.
In light of these circumstances, the Gati Shakti Director urged the Zonal Railway to make the land available to K-RIDE for Corridor-4 to ensure the project’s completion within the stipulated timeline, PTI reported.
Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager Yogesh Mohan acknowledged the complexities surrounding the land transfer issue, emphasizing that it is far from a straightforward matter.
The delay in handing over land has disappointed ‘Citizens for Citizens,’ an NGO led by Rajkumar Dugar, who has been advocating for the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project for several years. Dugar expressed his concern, stating that if senior officials are casual about the project’s progress after three years of its conception, the future does not appear promising.
He urged the railway authorities to recognize the 40-month deadline set by the Prime Minister and act accordingly. When reached for a comment, a K-RIDE official declined to provide a statement on the matter.