Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna, on Sunday, laid the foundation stone for the construction of a road over a bridge (RoB) at a railway level crossing at Ajjampura in Chikkamagaluru district.

The Ministry of Railways has taken up the project at a cost of ₹50.48 crore. It would benefit the people of Ajjampura.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Somanna stated that the railway network was a symbol of the nation’s progress, and the expansion of the railway network would benefit people in many ways.

Responding to demands from the people of Chikkamagaluru, the Minister said that the railway station at Tarikere had remained neglected for decades. He had directed officials to upgrade it under the Gati Shakti Scheme or any other scheme, and said the work would be completed in 15 to 20 months.

The Minister stated that the Prime Minister had instructed that no level crossing (LC) gates should remain within a 100-km radius of Bengaluru. In Karnataka, 707 LC gates had already been eliminated and had been replaced with overbridges or underbridges, and the remaining 400-plus gates would be closed within the next two years, he stated.

A ₹70 crore RoB project on the Chikkamagaluru–Birur route had already been approved, and the work would begin shortly, he said. Development works at Chikkamagaluru Railway Station have been undertaken at a cost of ₹22 crore, the Minister said.

Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Member of Parliament Kota Srinivas Poojary said that the RoB proposal had been pending since before he was elected. It had now been cleared, and the work had been launched within just one and a half years.

He urged that quality construction be ensured and that the bridge be opened to the public at the earliest. He also submitted a proposal to have four trains — including the Yashwanthpur–Vasco da Gama Express and the Gol Gumbaz Express — halt at Ajjampura station.

G.H. Srinivas, Tarikere MLA, S.L. Bhoje Gowda, MLC, and others were present at the programme.