Citing protests in Kodagu, Centre puts Thalassery line on back burner

Bengaluru: The Centre has virtually shelved the Thalassery-Mysuru railway line project which faced opposition from environmentalists and people of Kodagu district. The railway ministry has decided to put the onus on Karnataka and Kerala, saying it is an issue to be resolved between them.
“As such, the railway ministry is not pursuing the Thalassery-Mysuru rail line project and it is a bilateral issue between Karnataka and Kerala,” railway minister Piyush Goyal said at a press conference after launching a mechanised laundry at Bengaluru’s Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna station on Thursday.

“When the Kerala government proposed the project, Karnataka raised environmental concerns as the line would pass through an eco-sensitive zone. The two states have to resolve the issue and Karnataka should give consent to the project before it makes headway,” said Goyal.

Originally mooted by the Congress-led UPA, the project was shelved in 2011 owing to resistance from environmentalists in Karnataka, especially from the people of Kodagu. The proposal was revived in January with the Centre giving in-principle nod to the project, triggering a fresh round of protests in Kodagu. Goyal said Union minister H N Ananth Kumar had represented the environmental concerns following which the Centre decided to go slow on the project.

Waiting halls for women at all KSRTC bus stands soon

Transport minister H M Revanna on Thursday said women’s waiting halls and children-care centers will be built at KSRTC bus stations across the state. “We will set up the rooms in two months. Children-care spaces will be provided in these rooms. It will have facilities like drinking water, toilets, first-aid box and a child-friendly atmosphere,” he added.

Women’s seats in all KSRTC buses will be pink, Revanna said.

BMTC also recently introduced pink seats for women passengers.