PM to inaugurate Shivamogga airport and launch development projects in Karnataka on Feb 27
Bengaluru (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on his fifth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year on Monday to inaugurate Shivamogga airport and lay foundation for various development projects in Belagavi.
According to an official statement, the Prime Minister will undertake a walkthrough and inspect the airport in Shivamogga. Inauguration and laying of the foundation stone of multiple projects in the district is also part of the programme.
The new airport has been developed at a cost of around Rs 450 crore. The lotus shaped Passenger Terminal Building of the airport can handle 300 passengers per hour.
The airport is expected to improve connectivity and accessibility of Shivamogga and other neighbouring areas in the Malnad region.
Foundation stone for two railway projects, Shikaripura Ranebennur new Railway line and Koteganguru Railway coaching depot, will also be laid during the visit.
The Shivamogga Shikaripura Ranebennur new Railway line will be developed at a cost of Rs. 990 crore and will provide enhanced connectivity to Malnad region with Bengaluru-Mumbai mainline.
The Koteganguru railway coaching depot in Shivamogga city will be developed at an outlay of more than Rs 100 crore to help start new trains from Shivamogga and decongest maintenance facilities in Bengaluru and Mysuru.
The PM will lay the foundation stone for multiple road development projects worth more than Rs 215 crore, including construction of new bypass road for Shikaripura town connecting Byndur Ranebennur, widening of NH-169A from Megaravalli to Agumbe; and construction of a new bridge at Bharathipura in Teerthahalli Taluk.
He will also unveil and lay the foundation stone of multi-village schemes to the tune of over Rs 950 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
This includes inauguration of a scheme for Gowthamapura and 127 other villages and laying the foundation stone for three other schemes to be developed at a total cost of more than Rs 860 crore.
The four schemes aim to provide functional household piped water connections, which is expected to benefit a total of more than 4.4 lakh people.
As many as 44 Smart City projects worth more than Rs 895 crores in Shivamogga will also be inaugurated.
The projects include eight smart road packages of 110 km length, integrated command and control centre and multi-level car parking; smart bus shelter projects, intelligent solid waste management system, creation of parks and riverfront development projects, among others.
Later, Modi will fly to Belagavi where he will release the 13th instalment of about Rs 16,000 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) through direct benefits transfer to more than eight crore beneficiaries.
Under the scheme, eligible farmer families are provided a benefit of Rs 6000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2000 each.
He will dedicate the Belagavi Railway station building to the nation, which has been redeveloped at an approximate cost of about Rs 190 crore to provide world-class amenities to the passengers.
He will also launch the rail line doubling project between Londa-Belagavi worth Rs 930 crores. The project will enhance line capacity along the busy Mumbai-Pune-Hubballi-Bengaluru railway line, leading to promotion of trade, commerce and economic activities in the region.
Modi's visit to Shivamogga on Monday will be the fifth this year.
The general assembly elections in Karnataka are due sometime in April-May.
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Bengal: On way to PM's rally, 3 mowed down by train amid dense fog
Kolkata (PTI): Three persons died and three others were injured after being hit by a train amid dense fog on Saturday, while travelling to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Taherpur in West Bengal's Nadia district, a senior official said.
The incident occurred between Taherpur and Badkulla railway stations under the Sealdah-Krishnanagar section of Eastern Railway, he said.
Modi, whose helicopter could not land at Taherpur due to dense fog and low visibility, condoled the death of the “BJP workers” in his virtual address from Kolkata airport.
“I have come to know that some BJP workers, while travelling to the rally, lost their lives in a rail accident. My condolences are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Modi said.
The Eastern Railway official told PTI that the incident occurred in the morning when these people, who were travelling by a bus, had stopped the vehicle and walked to the railway tracks to answer nature's call.
"While three persons died on the spot, two others with injuries were admitted to a local hospital," he said.
Another person with minor injuries was released after having been administered first aid, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Ramprasad Ghosh (74), Shaktipada Sutradhar (55) and Gopinath Das (38).
Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra, Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district, alleged that the BJP ignored the incident and went ahead with the rally.
"Terrible tragedy hushed up at altar of @narendramodi ego. @BJP4India supporters brought from far Murshidabad for PM rally in Ranaghat today," she said in a post on X.
"4 went to answer nature's call and were killed by 31814 down local train near Taherpur. BJP ignored, blacked out & went ahead with rally," Moitra claimed.
Reacting to her remarks, the West Bengal BJP, in a post on X, asserted that the TMC "has always been adept at milking tragedies", and was being "disrespectful to the unfortunate victims of this tragedy".
The TMC alleged that BJP leaders have not shown "neither concern nor compassion" over the mishap.
"The loss of three lives in Taherpur should have united everyone in grief. But @BJP4India leaders showed neither concern nor compassion," it said in another post on X.
"At this painful moment, Smt @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc put humanity above party lines and stood beside the families of the deceased," the party said.
TMC’s on-ground leaders promptly reached out to the grieving family members, ensuring them of help and assistance, it said.
"While Delhi’s rulers chase Bengal with arrogance, our leadership chose empathy. This is the difference between politics of power and politics of people!" the TMC added.
