Legislators to meet on Monday

Legislators to meet on Monday
The Hindu

HUBLI: Ministers and members of the Legislative Assembly and Council of Dharwad region will meet on September 19 to chalk out a strategy to pressure the State Government to expedite the pending projects in the region, including the Hubli-Ankola railway line.

Pralhad Joshi, MP, told presspersons here on Wednesday that he had spoken to the people's representatives over phone about the meeting to be chaired by S.R. Morey, Minister for Municipal Administration and district-in-charge.

The Ministers Basavaraj Horatti and Jabbar Khan Honnali, Jagadish Shettar and S.I. Chikkanagowdar, MLAs, A.M. Hindasageri, Basavaraj Bommai and Viranna Mattikatti, MLCs, and others have agreed to participate in the meeting, he said.

Secretary to the Department of Forests and Environment K. Shivakumar had, in a meeting chaired by Mr. Morey, promised that the department would complete the survey on the revised project report within three months and forward the same to Centre with its endorsement, Mr. Joshi said.

"But now, the department is raising unnecessary queries, even when South Western Railway has submitted the revised project report reducing substantially the forest land required for the railway line," he alleged.

"The SWR submitted the revised project report on June 23, for which clarification was sought. The SWR again sent the reply making its stand clear. But so far, there has been no progress."

Mr. Joshi said the upgradation of Hubli Railway Station has not begun in spite of the fund allocation, as the goods shed could not be shifted. The land near Navalur which was promised to be given free of cost for shifting the shed has not been transferred by the State Government. Instead, it is asking the SWR to pay for the land, he said.

On night landing facility at Hubli airport, he said since the conditions have been met by Airports Authority of India, the Centre has released Rs. 15 crores to develop the airport.