Somanna slams Siddaramaiah for implicating farmers opposing Hemavathi link canal project

Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna addressing a media conference in Kalaburagi on Sunday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

In a sharp political swipe, Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna on Sunday criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying he has become like “a train that missed the village station.”

“The old Siddaramaiah is lost. He may take 10 steps forward, but then retreats 50 steps backward under pressure,” he said, while responding to media questions in Kalaburagi about the Hemavati Link Canal Project in Tumakuru.

Accusing the State government of stagnation and political favouritism, the Central Minister condemned the Congress government for implicating farmers who are opposing the project.

“The State government is acting like stagnant water, trying to appease some while punishing others unjustly. Why are poor farmers being targeted with criminal cases? What wrong have they done? The State government should stop harassing people. Officials who once declared the project unfeasible are now saying it’s possible, just to protect their positions,” he said urging the State government to work with Central irrigation experts to resolve issues on technical merit.

Speaking on railway projects in Karnataka, Mr. Somanna said that works worth ₹7,654 crores have been announced in budget for 2025-26.

“During the UPA government, Karnataka got an insignificant amount for railway projects. Now, the amount has crossed ₹7,000 crore. Vande Bharat Express trains are already running across 13 districts in the State. There have been requests to run Vande Bharat trains between Mangaluru and Bengaluru and Belagavi and Bengaluru. These services will be launched shortly,” he said.

Acknowledging concerns that rail services are becoming increasingly skewed toward upper class passengers due to the focus on air-conditioned coaches, Mr. Somanna said that Indian Railways will soon introduce 10,000 new general class coaches to better serve the needs of common passengers and address overcrowding in trains across the country.

Mr. Somanna also noted that the Indian Railways is making significant savings of approximately ₹18,000 crore annually through electrification and promised that all new railway lines will be launched as electrified routes to ensure sustainability and cost-efficiency.

“As much as 44,000 km of railway lines have been doubled over the last 10 years. Electrification of several routes has led to significant savings, estimated at ₹17,000 crore to ₹18,000 crore, while also helping reduce air pollution. Out of the 300 Amrit Bharat railway stations being upgraded nationwide, 61 are located in Karnataka and are currently under development,” he said.

Responding to comparisons with the UPA government, Mr. Somanna pointed out that during the 2009-10 fiscal year, ₹11,500 crore had been spent on doubling projects. In contrast, the present government has allocated ₹70,000 crore for such work in the 2025-26 fiscal year alone, he said arguing that this demonstrates a much stronger commitment to railway development than previous administrations.

Published - June 01, 2025 08:36 pm IST