K'taka decries Centre's 'discrimination' in allotting rly projects

Bangalore, Mar 22 (UNI) Accusing the Centre of meting out a step-motherly attitude towards Karnataka vis-a-vis development of railway network, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa today favoured constitution of a House Committee to petition the Union Government on the issue.

Intervening a discussion in the Legislative Council over the meagre amount earmarked in the railway budget for the proposed Gulbarga-Bidar railway line, raised by BJP's Shashil Namoshi during question hour, he expressed anguish that the State had always been ignored by the Centre while approving new railway projects. He welcomed a suggestion from JD(U)'s Dr M P Nada Gouda to constitute a House Committee to highlight the ''glaring discrimination'' and take a delegation to the Centre.

Mr Yediyurappa said that though the Karnataka Government was for contributing 50 per cent cost of any railway project, it failed to get the Centre's nod, while the other States got a lion's share of new projects eventhough they made less contributions.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the State Government had sought the Union Government to sanction special grants to develop infrastructure in Bangalore, bursting at the seams, but the Centre was not forthcoming.

Earlier, Tourism Minister B Sriramulu informed the House that the State Government had received Rs 18.75 crore since three years for the Gulbarga-Bidar railway line project, costing Rs 400 crore. The State Government had submitted a proposal to the Centre to include the project under the Karnataka Railway Infrastructure Development project and was still awaiting reply from the Railway ministry. The State Government had earmarked Rs 20 crore for the purpose.

UNI