BELAGAVI: The city of Belagavi, with immense development potential, faces significant setbacks due to land-related issues. For many years, key projects, especially those initiated by the central government, have struggled to secure the required land to expand the city.
The central govt projects – Belagavi Ring Road, Halaga-Macche bypass highway, and the Belagavi-Dharwad new railway line project – are facing setbacks due to delays in land acquisition. The state govt is supposed to ensure land for these projects, but strong resistance from farmers has made the authorities helpless.
The much-anticipated Belagavi-Dharwad railway line via Kittur (73 km) was sanctioned in 2019. The state govt is supposed to provide land free of cost for this project, apart from bearing 50% of the project cost. The centre has already sanctioned its share of the amount. Despite all, the project is lagging due to delays in land acquisition. When asked, district minister Satish Jarkiholi said: “Most of the land has already been acquired. The problem remains only in 100 acres. which will be resolved soon.”
Similarly, the Halaga-Macche bypass highway work of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has also been facing the same fate since 2009. The Halaga-Macche bypass is part of the central government’s ambitious Bharatmala project, which connects the Belagavi-Panjim National Highway to the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway-4. The project has been stuck in land acquisition problems, as farmers have been showing strong resistance through legal battles as well as struggles on the streets.
Another big project stuck in the land problem is the Belagavi Ring Road. The central govt has sanctioned Rs 1,622.04 crores for the 4/6 lane ring road of 34.48 km. Once this project is completed, it will help reduce a considerable amount of traffic congestion in the city. Besides, it would also directly connect Belagavi Airport and Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS). However, farmers in several villages have been opposing the project, as they don’t want to give up their land.
The state govt has entrusted the task of land acquisition to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Authority (KIADB). In a recent meeting, the new Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar took the KIADB officials to task for allowing the govt to invite tenders without ensuring the land in hand for the projects.
“All these projects have been pending since the term of the BJP govt. After the Congress govt came to power in the state, we are focusing on resolving the roadblocks to crucial projects,” said minister Satish Jarkiholi.
