The Mysuru-Madikeri railway line which was supposed to be taken up till Kushalnagar in the first phase, has been allotted ₹1000 in the budget for 2022-23!
The project has remained a non-starter and is bogged down by cost escalation besides negative rate of returns. Like most new railway lines, its progress also hinges on land acquisition and there is no progress and hence the allocation is nominal so that the project is not put in the backburner or frozen, said the officials.
Mooted to put the district on the railway map of India, the project has evoked strong opposition from the local community in Kodagu besides environmentalists as it could aggravate human-animal conflict.
