Mysuru: In what is being touted as one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects to be undertaken in the city in the recent past, the process for the establishment of a satelletite railway terminal at Naganahalli started in the earnest on Friday with the revenue department, and the South Western Railway SWR ), Mysuru division initiating a joint survey of the land where the station has been proposed to be built. Work on the railway terminal, which is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 789 crore, is expected to begin in March 2019.The railway terminal will reportedly require 400 acres – most of which is agricultural land – at Naganahalli, which is approximately 10km from the city. On Friday, Mysuru MP Pratap Simha , Karnataka minister for higher education GT Devegowda , who is also the MLA for Chamundeshwari assembly constituency under the purview of which Naganahalli falls, Mysuru deputy commissioner Abhiram G Sankar and additional manager for SWR Mysuru division Ajay Kumar Sinha interacted with the villagers to inform them about the plans for the new terminal.Although the farmers agreed to part with their land, they demanded fair compensation for their property, besides seeking employment for their family members in the railways.K Rajendra, a farmer in Naganahalli, is parting with five acres for the terminal. “The new railway station will help in the overall development of the district. But that does not mean we will compromise on the price for our land. We also want the railways to provide employment to family members. If they fail to meet our demands, we are ready to fight the issue legally,” Rajendra told TOI.Allaying the villagers’ reservations about compensation, Simha and Devegowda told Naganahalli residents that their demands would be met. “The project, including the land acquisition process, is expected to start in March. The entire project is funded by the central government, and farmers who lose their agricultural land will receive good price. I will discuss the possibility of giving a job to family members of those who give up their land with the Union railway minister,” Simha said.Pointing out that the sketch for the satellite terminal, expected to ease the burden on the City Railway Station, had already been prepared, Simha added, “The terminal will start from Lakhmipura, where the track will deviate to Naganahalli for a distance of 2km. The width of the terminal, meanwhile, is 600m and will extend towards Siddalingapura. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be ready by the first week of November, and work on the station will commence by March next year. Funds for the project will be earmarked in next year’s Union Budget. We will ensure that the terminal is connected to the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway.”The Parliamentarian said that completion of the Naganahalli terminal, coupled with the expansion of the Mysuru Airport and the extension of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway to a ten-lane road would give a fillip to the development of the Old Mysuru Region. “Bengaluru has reached saturation point in terms of development, and the time taken for travelling between Mysuru and the capital will reduce once these projects are completed. Mysuru will emerge as the next development hub,” Simha said.Meanwhile, Devegowda, also the Mysuru district in-charge minister, said that the survey report would be submitted soon, and expressed hope of the project’s completion in two years. “Along with the satellite station, we will simultaneously develop Naganahalli as a satellite town,” Devegowda said.‘Gowdru’ defeated a ‘tiger’ in the election, says SimhaIn a rare display of inter-party camaraderie, BJP MP Pratap Simha on Friday showered praise on JD(S) MLA GT Devegowda, who the former said defeated a ‘Tiger’ in the assembly elections. “In North Karnataka, there is a popular saying, which states, ‘If you want to kill, kill a tiger but not a cat’. In the assembly elections, Gowdru (Devegowda) defeated former chief minister Siddaramaiah, who was like a tiger, in the battle for Chamundeshwari segment,” Simha said.Devegowda fumes at KSRTC official for failing to operate another busMiffed with a senior official of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) rural division, who despite his repeated injunctions, failed to operate buses on a regular basis to Naganahalii, minister GT Devegowda told him that he would not rest till the said official was transferred. Asserting that he was not a politician who liked using his heft to get things done, Devegowda told the officer, “For the past six months, I have been asking you to oprate an additional bus to the village. I don’t trouble anybody or resort to using my power, and prefer to get work done by speaking softly. But, when the work is not done,I have no option but to use my power. How many times do I have to tell you as a minister? I will not rest till I have transferred you from Mysuru.”Satellite terminal will help handle additional load from BengaluruBesides reducing traffic, and decongesting the packed schedule at the City Railway Station in Mysuru, the proposed satellite terminal at Naganahalli is expected to handle the increasing traffic to and from Bengaluru. Interestingly, the satellite terminal was initially proposed to be developed at Kadakola in Nanjangud, but the authorities decided to shift it to Naganahalli. Currently, there are 31 trains departing Mysuru, and as many arriving in the city from Bengaluru.Railway authorities said that the Naganahalli terminal would have six platform lines, six stabling lines and five pit lines. Meanwhile, SWR plans to construct a container depot at Kadakola station.

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