K'taka Govt to release Rs 25 cr for Malaprabha project

Dharwad, Apr 10 (UNI) The Karnataka Government will release Rs 25 crore immediately for the Malaprabha third stage drinking water project for the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced today.

Talking to newspersons at the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI), near here, he said the Government would provide for Rs 50 crore to the Rs 176 crore third stage project this year and release Rs 25 crore immediately for taking up works.

Mr Yediyurappa said 100 acres of land between Hubli and Dharwad, belonging to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, would be handed over to the South Western Railway for shifting its goods shed. The land cost of Rs five crore had been paid to the KIADB by the State Government.

He said the Airports Authority of India had sought another 174 acres of adjoining land to develop Hubli airport as a full-fledged airport and he had directed the Deputy Commissioner to submit the proposal to the airport authorities on land acquisition.

To a question, the Deputy Chief Minister said it was the mistake of the previous Dharam Singh Government which proposed the names of three or four cities for inclusion in the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, while there was provision for only one city after Bangalore. ''Now, we will definitely impress upon the Centre to include the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad,'' he added.

UNI MNP GD VD PC1759