Contd.

Shimoga-Konkan rail route awaits MoEF clearance

Shimoga, July 10, DH News Service:

Clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest is awaited for the proposal to connect Shimoga with Konkan Railway, said Union
Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa.

It may be mentioned here that the Union Government has sanctioned for survey work to extend Shimoga-Talaguppa railway line upto Honnavar and thereby connect
Malnad with Konkan Railway in the last budget.

Speaking after waving off the green flag for Shimoga-Anandapuram train in the City on Saturday, he said Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Jairam
Ramesh also has been approached over the issue.

20-km-long tunnel

As the proposed route will pass through Sharavathi forests, he informed that of the 82-km stretch, tunnels as long as 20 km will be constructed to minimise the loss of
forest.

Muniyappa said that much ‘circus’ has been done to convince Jairam Ramesh on the need to implement the project. He informed that the project to connect Shimoga-
Talaguppa with Konkan Railway will cost Rs 2,000 crore.

The survey report on Shimoga-Harihar train route has been submitted to the Railway Board.

The viability and feasibility factors will be carefully examined.

The gauge conversion work along Shimoga-Talaguppa line will be completed by October.
Train service along the route will ensure easy access to Jog Falls, he stated. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa who inaugurated Shimoga-Anandapuram railway lane
informed that the State Government will provide Rs 2,500 crore in five years for extending the railway network.

Rs 300 crore for rly work

The State Government has provided Rs 300 crore towards railway work in the year 2009-10 while Rs 600 crore has been earmarked for 2010-11. On connecting
Talaguppa with Konkan Railway, he said that the State Government will bear 50 per cent of the expense of the project.
Rail Vikas Nigam may opt for PPP route for rail line in Karnataka
By NewsDesk News, Rail 126 days ago
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The Ministry of Railways has directed the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd a government of India company to examine the possibility of setting up a special purpose
vehicle to take up the construction of two new railway lines under the public private partnership model in Karnataka.

A senior official in the state infrastructure development department said that the state government had asked the railway ministry to take up two new railway
lines Bagalkot Kudachi and Talaguppa Honnavar under the PPP mode this year. The cost of the Bagalkot Kudachi line has been estimated at INR 1,250 crore
and the Talaguppa Honnavar line at INR 1,100 crore.

A special purpose vehicle would be set up to take up these projects in the PPP mode. While both the state government and railway ministry would take up 13 %
each in the SPV the balance 74 % would be offered to the private sector partner who will also bring in the funds to execute the projects.

Mr P V Ravi MD of Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) LimitediDeCK said that Infrastructure Development Corporation Karnataka Limited a
49:49.5:1.5 % joint venture between government of Karnataka Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited and HDFC has conducted the bankability
study for these projects and recommended the government to take up these new railway lines.

For 2010 to 2011 the state government has announced a budget of INR 500 crore for various railway projects which is more than double that of the INR 243
crore spent last year.