Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar emphasised the urgency of realising the Hubballi-Ankola railway line. He urged officials from the South Western Railway Division to expedite the process. Shettar made these remarks during the inauguration of an event titled ‘Sustainable Industrial Development and Tourism Promotion in Coastal Karnataka,’ organised by Jayashree Krishna Parisara Premi Samithi, an NGO, in Manipal on August 26.
Highlighting the potential benefits, Shettar explained that the implementation of the Hubballi-Ankola railway line would significantly enhance commercial activities in Karwar. Concurrently, he stressed the importance of developing the Belekeri Port. Such a development would enable entrepreneurs from the North Karnataka region to utilise the Belekeri Port for exporting goods, reducing their reliance on Mumbai and Goa ports. He expressed his belief that this shift could lead to greater profitability for entrepreneurs from North Karnataka.
Addressing concerns raised by environmentalists through Public Interest Litigations (PILs), Shettar countered the argument that the railway line would harm the environment due to its passage through forested areas. He pointed out that larger projects with more substantial environmental impacts have received approvals from the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL). He emphasised that the railway line, instead of causing harm, would contribute to developmental activities. Shettar called for a balance between environmental concerns and regional development.
Shettar recounted that the foundation stone for the proposed Hubballi-Ankola railway line was laid through a ‘bhoomi pooja’ ceremony by the Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002. However, the project encountered delays due to PILs filed by environmentalists in the High Court. Recently, Shettar disclosed his meeting with Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, to seek clearances for the project. He aimed to secure approvals through the intervention of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).
Furthermore, in response to a directive from the High Court, the South Western Railway division has initiated the submission of a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Hubli-Ankola railway line. Shettar expressed optimism about the project’s prospects, anticipating that with all necessary clearances, the project could soon become a reality. The event saw the presence of U. T. Khader, Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly, as well as R. V. Deshpande, Former Minister, among others.