Train to nowhere??
Its becoming obvious that whether it is the Cauvery issue or the railway budget, Karnataka’s claims, counter-claims, appeals et al seems to be in parallel with the powers that rule in the Centre.
Take the Railway budget announced by Laloo-ji yesterday. While it has received appreciation and whistles from everywhere, Karnataka has been given – in spite of getting an increase in the allocation from last year’s Rs 240.63 crore to Rs 467.81 crore, a quantum jump of over 90% – a raw deal !
Consider:
The Mangalore-Hassan Broad Gauge passenger train is still on the cards. Buses are the preferred mode of transport for many. Mangalore-Shravanbelagola Passenger, Yeshwantpur-Mangalore Express via Mysore and the Yeshwantpur-Mangalore Express via Arasikere are still on the drawing board. Bellary-Hospet line, Hubli-Bellary line and Guntakal-Hospet line, Bangalore-Gulbarga, Bangalore-Shimoga, Mysore-Hassan-Arasikere and Hassan-Mangalore asked for but not cleared.
While Laloo ji has given a green signal to doubling tracks between Mysore and Bangalore (stuck is the section between Ramanagaram & Mysore) there is a rider that the state government should also foot (in part) the bill. With the state’s treasury department cough up the moolah? Many are not so sure that it will including Mysore MP C H Vijayashankar, a Standing Committee member on Railways, elated with the approval but disappointed with the finance requirement at the same time. Dharwar North MP Joshi feels that the ‘….budget was populist and disappointing as far as the state is concerned.’ Joshi said Karnataka already had 21 projects sanctioned a decade ago and it would require Rs 3,720 crore to complete them.
All this only means one thing.
The State government better come up with a different train of thought and a well-thought out concrete platform to air / redress the above grievances!
Agree?
;)
What where you expecting?
on cauvery, ever since Feb 12, day after day in mysore, teachers, students, seers, pourakarmikas, traders, farmers, tamil sanghas, angry PUC girls, folk arists (complete with vesha), basically anybody and everybody, and in all permutations, is protesting, but nobody in the nation, with any significant reach, cares. I mean this is as deep an expression of democracy as there exists, but nobody is interested. Only the SOM is left carrying daily reports. Singur is sexier -there is violence, there is politics. (singur is an important case in its own right.) Honestly, I feel a bit let down. KA is supposed to be anything and everything to India, but India has nothing to offer to KA, not even a basic understanding for KA’s concerns forget compassion or solutions. Instead what we get are preachy sermons on national resources and conservation efforts (Even I believe in the significance of these, but there is only a limited point and a context in which these are valid.), not to mention indignant asahya at these protests by the unwashed and the resulting inconvenience. Maybe I am naïve, that I believe that democracy is supposed to work as a federacy, where the rights of all, irrespective of numbers, representation or political reach, are equally sacred.
aside:
road to mangaloor is unmotorable @ the shiradi ghats. lots of noise but nothing in concrete. muniyappa our man in the center cannot even get this started. even when the trucking lobby that ships iron ore from bellary and oil to bangalore , and is supposedly thrawting rail, are hair and nails regarding Shiradi. KRDCL is left making proposals.
Tarle, may be Mangalore connectivity is a good case study. Karnataka based interests are lobbying for their cause more than state’s – could that be happening everywhere else as well? Dont get me wrong – KA is still miles and miles ahead, but from what I remember, this is how the Bihar mess started.
I am not being cynical here, but perhaps we got to identify and fix our mess first. Finger pointing game or accusations like “center is not doing enough” is more the BIMARU language.
How do you see Gujarat, even TN?
pranav,
That was not written as a general cry over centre. It was specific to the apathy to people’s voice in the Cauvery issue, nothing else. For all its faults, one thing KA has got going is some sort of local bottom up awareness – it’s no utopia but it is there at least on some issues.
I am sure you have read up the situation numbers and the corresponding award numbers on it, all else being equal, KA being drought prone has genuine concerns.
All I am hoping for is Soz to say, folks, I see your point, I have spoken to FM, PM and Amma, Maga and Magan. By 12:39 pm July 8 2007, I am going to announce concrete plans to augment your supply through re-sourcing and conservation so that your concerns are addressed.
I believe there are solutions such as linking peninsular rivers. (See http://www.frontlineonnet.com/)
Oh. confusion there, sorry. I wasn’t talking abt Cauvery issue specifically. But perhaps pointing that our “lobbyist” at New Delhi isn’t doing a good job in general, and govt is busy with internal bickering and not paying attention to interactions with the center.