Panel set up to expedite Railway projects

BANGALORE: A committee headed by the chief secretary has been set up by the State Government to speed up the process of providing land for railway projects in the state, Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa said.Muniyappa, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of Vivekananda Express, an exhibition on wheels on Swami Vivekananda’s life and philosophy which arrived in the city on Saturday, said, “The committee will meet every month to facilitate speeding up the process of providing necessary land for the projects.” He also said that railway projects in Davanagere, Kolar, Shimoga, Hospet and Harihara will start soon after the State Government provides land.“Kudachi–Bagalkot, Davanagere– Tumkur, Bangalore– Ramanagaram and Rayadurga–Tumkur railway projects are under progress while the process of electrification of Hospet–Vasco Da Gama rail track is going on.Meanwhile, the works for railway track between Talaguppa– Honnavar is in final stages,” the Union minister informed.Vivekananda Express, an exhibition on wheels on Swami Vivekananda’s life and philosophy, has arrived in the Cantonment Railway Station. Vivekananda Express was flagged off on January 12 at Howrah in West Bengal. The train’s journey will conclude in January 12, 2013, on the commemoration of 150 birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.Union Minister Muniyappa and ADGP (Railways) Shankar Bidari inaugurated the exhibition on Saturday in the city.The train will be stationed in Bangalore till June 20 and will be open to the public from 9.30 am to 6 pm.The next destination of the Vivekananda Express is Mysore where it will stay from June 21 to June 24.The train exhibits rare photographs, writings and the famous Chicago speech of Swami Vivekananda.The aim of the train is to further popularise the Swamiji’s messages all over the country again.