State approves 50% cost sharing for 3 rail projects

The Karnataka government has decided to release its share of 50 per cent of the project cost for three new rail-way projects in the state. The ministry of railways would bear the remaining 50 per cent. The three projects are: construction of new 144 km long railway line between Bagalkot and Kudchi at a cost of Rs 816 crore, guage conversion between Kolar and Chikkaballapur at a cost of Rs 68 crore and construction of level crossing in Bidar city costing Rs 6 crore.

The state cabinet at its meet-ing held here on Friday accor-ded its approval for these projects. Later, briefing reporters on the outcome of the cabinet meeting, minister for primary and secondary education, Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri told reporters that the state government would bear 50 per cent of the cost of each of these railway projects.

 

The cabinet accorded approval for extending an incentive package worth Rs 35 crore to silk farmers for producing good quality silk cocoons for the year 2012-13.

It also approved setting up of Dayanand Sagar private university in Bangalore, Devaraj Urs private university in Kodigenahalli, veterinary science college in Puttur and shifting of Rajiv Gandhi Medical University to Ramnagar, the minister said.

The cabinet also approved to provide government guarantee to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) for borrowing Rs 1,000 crore loan from nationalised and private banks to fund various infrastructure development works. The BBMP has already pledged the high rise Utility Building for Rs 1,000 crore loan. The corporation recently presented a budget of Rs 9,500 crore for 2012-13.

Kageri said the government would share 25 per cent of the Rs 221 crore project to upgrade 15 engineering colleges in the state, while the balance 75 per cent would be borne by the Union ministry of Human Resources Development. The project is being undertaken with the financial assistance from the World Bank.

Among other decisions the cabinet approved setting up of a planetarium with a dome of 18 metres at a cost of Rs 25 crore in Pilikula Sanctuary on the outskirts of Mangalore city.

The government has decided to develop 13 horticulture projects under public private partnership mode across the state. It also approved implementation of Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Programme to Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada districts under the second phase, which will be executed by Bescom and Mescom. As part of this programme, the government would provide 10 per cent of the loan component to the electricity companies, Kageri added.