Stage set for PM Modi\'s Mandya-Dharwad visit in poll-bound Karnataka

BENGALURU: The stage is set for the inauguration of the 10-lane Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway as Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on his sixth visit to the poll-bound Karnataka this year on Sunday.

The Prime Minister will lay foundation stones for key projects and inaugurate the Expressway in Mandya and Hubballi-Dharwad worth Rs 16,000 crore.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's office, Modi will dedicate and lay the foundation stones of key road projects in Mandya at noon.

Thereafter, at around 3:15 PM, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various development initiatives in Hubbali-Dharwad, the statement said. The rapid pace of development of infrastructure projects has been a testament to the vision of the prime minister to ensure world-class connectivity across the country, the statement said. Moving ahead in this endeavour, Prime Minister Modi will dedicate the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway to the nation, it said. The project involves six-laning of the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of NH-275. The 118-km-long project has been developed at a total cost of around Rs 8,480 crore.

It will reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from around three hours to about 75 minutes, the statement said. It will act as a catalyst for socio-economic development in the region, it said. Earlier in the day, Modi tagged a tweet by Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari who said the construction of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, which encompasses a portion of NH-275, entails the development of four rail overbridges, nine significant bridges, 40 minor bridges, and 89 underpasses and overpasses.

Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Mysuru-Khushalnagar four-lane highway. The 92-km-long road project will be developed at a cost of around Rs 4,130 crore. The project will play a key role in boosting connectivity of Kushalnagar with Bengaluru and will help halve the travel time from about 5 to only two-and-a-half hours, it said. In Hubbali-Dharwad, the prime minister will dedicate IIT Dharwad to the nation. The foundation stone of the institute was laid by Prime Minister Modi in February 2019. Developed at a cost of over Rs 850 crore, the institute currently offers four-year B.Tech programmes, inter-disciplinary five-year BS-MS programmes, M.Tech. and Ph.D. programmes.

The Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation the longest railway platform in the world at Sri Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Station. The record has been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records recently. The 1,507-metre-long platform has been built at a cost of about Rs 20 crore. The prime minister will also dedicate to the nation the electrification of Hosapete-Hubballi-Tinaighat section of the railway network and the upgradation of Hosapete station for boosting connectivity in the region. Developed at a cost of over Rs 530 crore, the electrification project establishes seamless train operation on electric traction.

The redeveloped Hosapete station will provide convenient and modern facilities to travellers. It has been designed to resemble the Hampi monuments, the statement said. He will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various projects of Hubballi-Dharwad smart city. The total estimated cost of these projects is about Rs 520 crore, it said. These efforts will enhance the quality of life by creating hygienic, safe and functional public spaces and transform the town into a futuristic urban centre, it said.

Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Jayadeva Hospital and Research Centre. The hospital will be developed at a cost of about Rs 250 crore and will provide tertiary cardiac care to the people of the region. In order to further augment water supply in the region, Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Dharwad Multi Village Water Supply Scheme, which will be developed at a cost of over Rs 1,040 crore. He will also lay the foundation stone of Tupparihalla Flood Damage Control Project, which will be developed at a cost of about Rs 150 crore. The project aims to mitigate damage caused by floods and involves construction of retaining walls and embankments, the statement said.

Prime Minister's presence in Mandya assumes significance from political point of view in the poll-bound Karnataka where the general assembly elections are due in May. Mandya district, a key part of the old Mysuru region, has traditionally been a JD(S) bastion. The district has seven assembly constituencies and barring one rest are represented by the JD(S) legislators.

The BJP made inroads into Mandya district by winning one seat (KR Pet) during the 2019 bypolls.

At this crucial juncture, the party could persuade the Mandya independent MP Sumalatha to announce her 'full support' to the BJP two days before the Prime Minister's visit to the district.