BELAGAVI
Several long-pending central government's infrastructure projects in and around city are finally gaining momentum after years of delay, primarily due to land acquisition hurdles. The breakthrough comes with the combined efforts of Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan and MP Jagadish Shettar, who took these stalled projects as a top priority. Key among them is the much-awaited Belagavi-Dharwad railway line via Kittur, a 73-km project sanctioned in 2019 during the tenure of former MP and Minister of State for Railways, the late Suresh Angadi. Despite funding from the Centre, the project was held up for years due to land-related issues. However, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan recently announced that land acquisition is now complete, and the work is expected to commence shortly. The Halaga-Macche bypass highway, a vital route connecting Pune-Bengaluru NH-4 and Belagavi-Goa national highway, sanctioned in 2009, also faced prolonged delay due to legal land disputes. With the district administration actively mediating and convincing landowners, the impasse has been resolved, and construction is underway.
After I became MP, I prioritised these issues, met Union ministers, held review meetings with officials, and visited the sites. Today, we are seeing the results. I expect the required land to be fully acquired in the next 2-3 months and the tender process to begin within 5-6 months, said MP Jagadish Shettar. He credited DC Mohammad Roshan for playing a vital role in resolving bureaucratic and on-ground challenges related to land acquisition. In addition, Shettar informed that land acquisition for Belagavi-Hunagund-Raichur highway, a Rs 1,452 crore project, has also reached near completion. He further assured that the new terminal at Belagavi airport will be ready by March 2026, marking a step toward upgrading the facility to international standards.