Mangaluru, June 1: The Congress should implement the five guarantees it promised before the elections to the people without any further delay, Karnataka BJP president and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said on Thursday.

Addressing reporters here, he said the BJP will take to the streets if the government fails to fulfil the promises without any conditions.

Kateel said the Congress government is now talking about certain guidelines to implement the proposals which was not mentioned during the election campaign.

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The ruling party is trying to deceive the public, he said. ''The Congress, which offered to fulfil the promises within 24 hours of taking charge, has not implemented the guarantees even after 20 days,'' he claimed, adding that the BJP will not remain silent if the assurances are not kept.

Kateel also told reporters that he spoke to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw about the the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod Vande Bharat Express, urging him to extend the train's route up to Mangaluru. DK district BJP president Sudarshan Moodbidri and Mangaluru South MLA Vedavyas Kamath were among those present.

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Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has written to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the Centre to introduce additional Vande Bharat train services between Mangaluru and Bengaluru to improve daily connectivity.

In his letter, Dinesh Gundu Rao said the Karnataka government is focusing on developing tier-2 cities into modern work and industry destinations to ensure balanced growth across the state and generate employment opportunities. He noted that Mangaluru has the potential to emerge as a strong alternative to Bengaluru, citing its strengths in education, commerce and culture, but pointed out that inadequate fast transport links have limited the city’s growth.

The minister said that the absence of quick daily travel options forces professionals and businesspersons to spend nights travelling for short-duration work, resulting in loss of productive time. He described this as unfair to the people of Dakshina Kannada, many of whom regularly commute between the two cities.

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To address this, Dinesh Gundu Rao requested the introduction of Vande Bharat trains from Mangaluru to Bengaluru at 4 am, 10 am and 6 pm, with return services on the same day on all weekdays. He said such services would significantly benefit working professionals and business communities and provide a major boost to economic activity in coastal Karnataka.

The minister added that improved high-speed rail connectivity would facilitate exchanges in healthcare, banking, commerce and industry, as both cities complement each other. He also said better connectivity would attract travellers from other parts of India and abroad to Mangaluru, given the city’s existing infrastructure and facilities.

Stating that passenger occupancy would not be a concern for these services, Dinesh Gundu Rao said the proposal reflects the aspirations of both the Karnataka government and the people of coastal Karnataka. He expressed hope for a positive response from the Union Railway Ministry.