Delay in land acquisation of 3341 hectares halting railway development in Karnataka: Vaishnaw
Mangaluru: Several major railway projects in Karnataka have come to a halt due to delays in land acquisition by the state government, even as the Centre has sharply increased funds for railway development in the state.
According to a report published by The New Indian Express on Friday, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Karnataka needs 9,020 hectares of land for various railway projects, of which 63% (5,679 ha) has been acquired, while 3,341 ha is still pending.
Dharwad–Belagavi via Kittur new line (73 km), taken up under a 50:50 cost-sharing agreement with the state. The project has made no progress reportedly, because the required land has not been handed over. As per the agreement, land is to be provided free of cost by the state.
The other projects facing significant delays due to land acquisition include 333 ha pending for Shimoga–Rannebennur new line (96 km), as per the report, 581 ha pending for Belgaum–Dharwad new line (73 km), 488 ha pending for Shimoga–Harihar new line (79 km), 337 ha pending for Whitefield–Kolar new line (53 km), and 206 ha pending for Hassan–Belur new line (32 km).
Vaishnaw allegedly said that timelines depend on factors such as land acquisition, statutory clearances, forest permissions, utility shifting, topographical challenges and law and order conditions, all of which can affect both cost and time.
The minister pointed out that added that while the Centre is prepared to move fast, progress depends heavily on the support and cooperation of the state government.
The minister pointed out that annual outlay for Karnataka has risen from Rs 835 crore per year during 2009–14 to Rs 7,564 crore in 2025–26, an increase of more than nine times.
According to the report, as of April 1, 2025, Karnataka has 25 sanctioned projects including 15 new lines and 10 doubling works covering 3,264 km and costing Rs 42,517 crore, fall completely or partly within Karnataka. Of these, 1,394 km have been commissioned so far, with an expenditure of Rs 21,310 crore.
Recently completed works include the Kottur–Harihar, Hassan–Bengaluru, Bidar–Gulbarga lines and several doubling projects in Shivamogga, Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Arsikere and Hubballi regions.
As per the report, major ongoing projects such as the Hospet–Hubli–Londa–Vasco doubling, Hotgi–Gadag doubling and new lines like Gadag–Wadi, Bagalkot–Kudachi, Tumkur-Rayadurga and Tumkur–Davangere continue to progress, the minister said.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
