Intercity Metro Rail line between DK, Udupi: State government asks BMRCL to prepare master plan
Mangaluru: With the aim of connecting Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts via a metro railway line, the state government has directed the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to prepare a master plan, including a brief report and a detailed project report, for the 60-km stretch.
The government has told BMRCL to submit the master plan for Phase 1 of the 60-km intercity rail connectivity corridor between the two districts. The government has also communicated with the deputy commissioners of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi regarding the project.
Former secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Mohandas Hegde had written to Dakshina Kannada District In-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Minister for Large and Medium Industries MB Patil, proposing a metro railway line between Mangaluru and Udupi. In his letters, he stated that such a metro line, covering major urban, semi-urban, and industrial zones, would enhance transportation while promoting economic and urban development.
The proposal for a metro railway line between the two neighbouring districts was supported by the KPCC member, citing congestion in the current transport system, which causes inconvenience to road users. A metro line, on the other hand, is expected to reduce travel time to less than an hour. Moreover, an intercity metro railway line is considered a suitable mode of transport for connecting Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, given the high population in both districts.
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Prime organiser of Messi event in Kolkata arrested over ‘mismanagement’ after stadium chaos
Kolkata (PTI): The police on Saturday arrested Satadru Datta, the prime organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake Stadium here, following widespread chaos at the venue, which prompted the Argentine World Cup-winning captain to leave the field early.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the stadium unrest, Datta was held by the Bidhannagar Police for “mismanagement” of the event from the Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad.
"We are looking into whether there was any mismanagement from the organiser's side, which led to the chaos at the stadium. He has been detained, and the police have now brought the situation under control," West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said at a press conference.
A senior police officer later confirmed that Dutta has been arrested. Till reports last received, the police were interrogating him and his manager inside one of the departure lounges of the airport.
The organiser has given in writing that he will refund the prices of tickets he sold to the disappointed spectators, Kumar said.
What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium after Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated, as they failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having travelled from far and wide, paying hefty sums for tickets.
Police said they were also investigating how organisers allowed sale of bottled waters and beverages inside the stadium premises, which are banned items during such events.
Thousands of water bottles were used as missiles and lobbed inside the pitch by angry spectators, who also uprooted bucket seats from the gallery and used them as ammunition inside the field against the defending police and security personnel.
Spectators alleged that water bottles were being sold at a massive premium inside the stadium despite police disallowing such items from outside at the entry gates.
Police agreed there was an underlying tension in the galleries on account of Messi not showing his footballing skills on the field, which only got aggravated after a bunch of VIPs, including State Sports Minister Aroop Biswas and unidentified people, blocked the football icon’s view during the limited time he spent on the ground.
“We are on the job, and will ensure that whoever is responsible for what happened today at Salt Lake Stadium will be punished, and action will be taken against the authorities concerned,” said Jawed Shamim, ADG, Law and Order.
