Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan speaks to journalists during a Meet-the-Press in Belagavi on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: P.K. BADIGER

Most infrastructure projects in Belagavi district have been fast tracked with teams of officers working with special focus, Deputy Commissioner Mohammd Roshan said in Belagavi on Thursday.

Officers are working in coordination with Union and State government officers, non-government agencies and other stakeholders, he said during a Meet-the-Press session organised by Belagavi Media Association in the Department of Information.

In an unstructured interaction session, he outlined major infrastructure projects, forest conservation efforts and temple development plans.

Mr. Roshan addressed key infrastructure, tourism and conservation projects in the districts.

He provided updates on long-pending railway expansion, temple development, flood mitigation and forest relocation schemes.

He said that after a delay of three-and-a-half years a project to lay a direct railway line between Dharwad and Belagavi via Kittur has taken off.

“We have completed 80% acquisition of around 1,200 acres of land in a record time of four months. In a week, the final notification for the land will be issued and the land will be ready for transfer to the Railways for construction. The Railway officials have indicated that they will start construction as soon as the land is transferred,” he said.

To a query, he said that the alignment of the line remains unchanged, as there are no objections. This direct line will significantly improve connectivity not only between Dharwad and Belagavi but also between North Karnataka and and North-western Karnataka.

He said that the Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna and other leaders have appreciated the efforts of the district administration.

He said that an ambitious project to develop the Saundatti Yallamma Temple is being taken up. The State government has formed a temple management authority and a tourism development board in Saundatti with an objective of creating a mega tourism hub.

Saundatti Yallamma is a temple with the biggest footfall in the country after the Tirupati Balaji Temple. It receives over three crore devotees per year. It will undergo massive infrastructure upgrades. The single master plan has been approved for the development of 1,098 acres in Saundatti town, including the temple complex of 100 acres on the mountain top.

The plan includes construction of a queue complex that can house up to 7,000 devotees at a time. It will have waiting rooms with chairs and LED screens, toilet blocks and light refreshment.

There will be a massive Dasoha Bhavan that can feed up to 15,000 persons at a time, open kitchens in all parking lots, a commercial zone on around 40 acres, where all street vendors will be relocated, a bullock cart parking centre and fodder distribution area for cattle and a widening, repair and reconstruction of roads at a cost of ₹30 crore.

New technological tools like an Online Hundi, online booking portal and battery-operated buggies will be put in place. The donation portal will also allow donors to learn about expenses.

The detailed project reports have been approved and open tenders will be floated soon. The foundation stone will be laid in around two months.

The district administration will work with the NHAI officials to find long-term civil engineering solutions to the problems of flooding of parts of Belagavi city. The Ballari Nala that flows through the city, faces some challenges like encroachments and obstruction to the flow due to altitude differences, he said.

A tunnel and overflow bypass will be built to enable smooth flow of water. Desilting will be taken up in association with NGOs, after the monsoon months. Land acquisition for the outer ring road and bypass is almost completed. Work will start soon, he said.

The government is facilitating voluntary relocation of forest dwellers as it is in the interest of residents. It will also help forest conservation. Eco-tourism initiatives like jungle safari will be introduced to create awareness about conservation among the urban folk. All the families in one of the 14 villages have been relocated. The rest will be relocated on the request of residents. They will be paid due compensation in phases, he said.

National Geographic channel has created a documentary on Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bats, an endangered species that are found in the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary. Efforts will be made to preserve the habitat, the Deputy Commissioner said.

Association president Vilas Joshi, senior journalists, Deputy Director of Information Gurunath Kadabur and others were present.