Belagavi: MP Jagadish Shettar said that efforts for the commencement of the Vande Bharat train between Pune-Belagavi-Hubballi have been finally realised.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the train virtually on September 15, and I shall attend the programme at the regional railway station here.
Shettar told reporters here on Tuesday (September 1) that he had held meetings with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Railways V Somanna a couple of months ago.
Shettar requested for the commencement of the Vande Bharat train between Pune-Belagavi and the extension of Bengaluru- Dharwad Vande Bharat up to Belagavi.
Now, that the demand for Pune- Hubbali has been realised, soon, a decision on extending Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat upto Belagavi will be taken, Shetter said.
"Earlier technical reasons like forest areas, speed limits and curves had been cited. We are soon laying a direct railway line between Belagavi and Dharwad. Until then we have urged for the train to be run on the existing route and hurdles have been resolved," he added.
Land acquisition for the Belagavi-Dharwad direct railway line will be completed in a couple of months and works will commence on the stretch, Shettar stated.
Regarding the squabble between senior Congress leaders for the post of chief minister in the wake of accusations of alleged MUDA land scam against incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Shettar said, the tussle for the post of chief minister has begun in Congress since the chief minister assumed charge.
"The internal fight has been brewing inside the party and it will blast soon. Earlier it was Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar who was aspirant, but now many more have come forward to stake claim for the post of chief minister."
"The Congress government has become unstable and could collapse soon. Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation and MUDA scams have come to the fore. Corruption is rampant here and there is no control on administration," he noted.
"Belagavi City Corporation has landed in a financial mess due to the faults committed by its officials regarding the works of the road from SPM Road to old PB Road and it has to pay Rs 20 crore to prevent contempt proceedings in the Karnataka High Court," Shettar said.
"Urban Development Minister Byrati Suresh should have visited the civic body and held talks with the representatives to find a solution. Government should compensate for the losses suffered by the civic body," Shettar expressed.