Railway Budget: Port connectivity in Karnataka remains a distant dream

The railway budget has left coast and the port connectivity untouched—there is no mention of any new line connecting the state’s interior eastern parts to ports and the coastal region.

Union corporate affairs minister M Veerappa Moily and Union minister of state for railways KH Muniyappa have been harping on railway–port connectivity, saying that the Hubli–Ankola and Talaguppa–Honnavar lines are important for the state’s economy as they will facilitate movement of goods and passengers from the interior areas to the coast.

Muniyappa had recently said that Talaguppa–Honnavar line was an important link, which would connect Malnad areas to the coast and Uttara Kannada district to Bangalore. He had said he expected the Hubli–Ankola line to be featured in this budget, which did not happen.

“Railways has already got administrative and financial clearances from the government for both Hubli–Ankola and Talaguppa–Honnavar lines. Only forest and environment clearances are pending,” said a South Western Railway (SWR) official.

People in the state are disappointed that there is no mention of the two lines in the railway budget. “The Hubli–Ankola line will open a new corridor toward Mumbai and interior Maharashtra via Hubli–Belgaum. It will also connect Malnad to a large portion of north Karnataka. Currently, road is the only means of transportation in the area, which is expensive and tedious,” said Anil Bandekar, a member of the Uttara Kannada Railway Users’ Forum.

Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Lata R Kini said: “Coast and port connectivity has been ignored and this will cost Karnataka in the long run. Trading in commodities and engineering goods mostly happen via Mangalore. Without port connectivity, a large hinterland of Mangalore has been left out.”

Malnad Chamber of Commerce and Industry member Ramachandrappa is disheartened that the Shimoga–Talaguppa–Honnavar line has not been given funds for completion. He said the line would have provided Shimoga, Davanagere, Chitradurga and Bellary connectivity to ports in Goa or Mangalore.

The Railway Yatri Association at Honnavar also expressed disappointment. Association member Anand Joglekar said: “Politicians sitting in Delhi do not know how important it is for Karnataka to launch Hubli–Ankola and Honnavar–Talaguppa lines and our MPs are not supporting us.”