The long-pending and highly anticipated Dharwad–Belagavi direct railway line project via Kittur has hit a major roadblock. Driven by a sluggish land acquisition process, the state government is yet to hand over even a single square foot of land to the railway authorities.
This severe bureaucratic bottleneck has not only indefinitely pushed back the project’s timeline but has also sent the overall estimated cost skyrocketing from an initial ₹927 crore to a whopping ₹2,500 crore.
Land Pricing & Compensation Deadlock
The 73-kilometer direct rail link requires a total of 1,588 acres of land across two key districts:
- Belagavi District: 1,378 acres
- Dharwad District: 210 acres
The ground reality highlights stark procedural differences between the two regions. In Belagavi, land rates haven’t even been finalized yet. Out of the required 1,378 acres, preliminary acquisition paperwork has concluded for just 621 acres, while the remaining 779 acres haven’t even entered the primary acquisition phase.
To make matters more complicated, local farmers in Belagavi have launched intense protests, demanding higher compensation rates. Meanwhile, in Dharwad, although the land rates were fixed years ago, the distribution of compensation remains painfully slow.
Financial Dues of ₹29 Crore Pending
A year ago, the state government released ₹50 crore toward land compensation in the Dharwad sector. However, due to administrative delays by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), only ₹21 crore has been distributed so far, leaving ₹29 crore in dues pending for the affected farmers.
KIADB has approached the state government asking for additional funds to take possession of the land. In response, the Finance Department has directed them to first completely disburse the remaining ₹29 crore to farmers before requesting more money. Critics blame KIADB’s slow procedural approach for this unnecessary back-and-forth.
Railways Request Partial Land to Kickstart Construction
Frustrated by the delays, the South Western Railway (SWR) has urged the state government to at least hand over the Dharwad portion of the land so that initial construction can begin.
Out of Dharwad’s 210 acres, the acquisition process is technically complete for 121 acres in the first phase and 89 acres in the second phase. If KIADB wraps up the pending ₹29 crore payment, they can immediately claim possession of another 65 to 70 acres.
Combining this with the 48 acres that have already been fully cleared, the state government would be in a position to transfer about 113 acres to SWR—enough for officials to finally kickstart the preliminary groundwork.
Project Status At A Glance
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Project Distance | 73 km |
| Initial Project Cost | ₹927 Crore |
| Current Escalated Cost | ₹2,500 Crore |
| Total Land Needed | 1,588 Acres |
| Land Handed Over So Far | Only 48 Acres |
| Balance Land Still Pending | 1,540 Acres |
With massive cost overruns looming and 1,540 acres of land still pending transfer, the Dharwad–Belagavi rail project remains a distant dream for commuters unless the state administration speeds up its machinery.
Source : Vijayakarnataka
