Lalu assures Bangalore-Mangalore passenger trains before September

New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today assured to run passenger trains between Bangalore and Mangalore before September.

An assurance to this effect was given to the BJP MPs and MLAs from three coastal districts of Karnataka when they met him seeking to draw his attention about the delay in restoring the services after the completion of track to Broad Guage.

"Mr Prasad offered to inaugurate the run before September end", Karnataka BJP President K Sadananda Gowda and senior BJP Minister V S Achar told newspersons after their meeting.

Mr Gowda said the leaders apprised the Railways Minister about the inordinate delay in running the passenger services as the goods service had been restored more than a year ago.

The Chairman of the Railway Board had explained that the Railways Safety Panel had suggested to introduce special safety braking system in the Sakaleshpur-Subramanya section and laying of steel sleepers. The delay in running the regular passenger trains was to accomodate these concerns and the authorities would run the 'mock passenger trains' soon, the leaders said.

Union Minister of State for Surface Transport K H Muniappa also assured that Rs five crore from the National Highway Authorities ould be sanctioned for filling the pot holes on the NH 17 and NH 48 and work would be completed within a month.

The Government had approved five phase restructuring of various sections of Highways in the districts of Dakshna Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi.

The delegation demanded Defence Minister A K Antony, facilities for landing and take off by A320 civilian aircrafts at Seabird airbase near Karwar like in Bidar airbase to boost tourism activities.

The State Government had agreed to provide 50 per cent of the costs for providing 225 acres of additional land. They also sought settlement of the claims by the outstees through the Lok Adalat.

When the leaders raised the issue of building of ''sea protection walls''to prevent sea erosion using ADB funds, with Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz he replied to the proposal in a positive manner. The proposal is to build 56 km long protective walls in 320 km coastal areas.

The delegation included Karnataka Fisheries Minister B Nagaraja Shetty, BJP MP Manorama Madhwaraj, and legislators Yogish Bhat and Ganesh Karnik.

UNI