Synopsis
On February 5, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi announced that the NDA government allocated nine times more funding to Karnataka's railway projects compared to the UPA era, emphasizing a consistent funding trend over nine years and significant infrastructure advancements.Key Takeaways
- Nine times increase in railway funding compared to UPA era.
- Rs 7,559 crore allocated in the latest budget for Karnataka.
- 31 new railway tracks and 3,840 km in development.
- Modernization of 61 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station scheme.
- 96.5% of routes electrified under NDA government.
Bengaluru, Feb 5 (NationPress) Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi stated on Wednesday that the BJP-led NDA government has allocated nine times more resources for Karnataka’s railway projects in the recent budget compared to the UPA era.
He noted that the Union government has consistently maintained similar funding levels for nine consecutive years.
The Union Minister, who also serves as the MP from Dharwad in Karnataka, provided a robust rebuttal to the Congress's claims regarding inadequate funding for the state in the Union Budget.
“During the five-year term of the UPA government (2009-14), the annual average railway budget for Karnataka was Rs 835 crore. However, in the 2025-26 budget alone, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government has approved Rs 7,559 crore, which is nine times higher,” he remarked.
He elaborated that while the UPA government provided an average of Rs 835 crore annually, the NDA government has raised it to Rs 7,559 crore.
“Significant railway advancements in Karnataka include the construction of 31 new railway tracks and a total of 3,840 kilometres of new railway lines being developed across 31 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 47,016 crore,” he explained.
He emphasized that Rs 1,981 crore has been set aside to modernize 61 major railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station initiative.
“Currently, ten Vande Bharat Express trains are operational through 12 districts of Karnataka, stopping at 18 key stations,” he added.
He mentioned that since 2014, Karnataka has constructed 1,652 km of new railway lines, surpassing the entire railway network of Sri Lanka.
Under the UPA government, only 113 tracks were created, while the NDA government has built 150 new tracks.
“A remarkable 96.5 percent of Karnataka’s railway network, totaling 3,233 km across 294 routes, has been electrified. Under the UPA era, only 18 routes were electrified, whereas the NDA government has increased this number 16 times,” he stated.
For passenger convenience, Karnataka now features: Wi-Fi facilities at 335 railway stations; lifts at 61 locations; and escalators at 43 locations.
“An investment of Rs 1,240 crore is being allocated for the redevelopment of four crucial railway stations in Karnataka. Bengaluru Cantt Station is being upgraded with Rs 475 crore, Yeshwantpur station at Rs 367 crore; Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal at Rs 300 crore, and the tender process has begun for Tumakuru Station at Rs 88 crore,” he mentioned.
The Union Minister concluded that these advancements are providing an unparalleled boost to Karnataka’s railway infrastructure, significantly improving connectivity and convenience across the state.
