Mysuru:  The much needed construction of the Second Satellite Railway Terminal for Mysuru at Naganahalli village, which was first announced in the Budget for 2018-19 and reiterated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to city seven months ago, hinges on land acquisition.

The project requires a minimum of 370 to 400 acres of land and the onus is on the State Government to pursue it and expedite the process. A meeting was held this morning at Naganahalli Railway Station to resolve the issue of land acquisition, compensation and related issues with the land owners and villagers.

MP Pratap Simha, who represents the Centre, Higher Education and Mysuru District Minister G.T. Devegowda, who represents the State Government, Additional Divisional Railway Manager Ajay Sinha chaired the meeting that was attended by Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar, Assistant Commissioner Shivegowda and Tahsildar T. Ramesh Babu. A host of Railway and Revenue officials too attended the meeting.

The villagers were represented by Naganahalli Gram Panchayat President Chaitra and Zilla Panchayat member Dinesh. Over 500 villagers attended the meeting. The Naganahalli Satellite Railway Terminal project is envisaged to cost Rs. 789.29 crore and the cost per acre of agricultural land around Naganahalli is around Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 1.5 crore.

The meeting was held to clear apprehensions of the villagers regarding land acquisition and compensation for land losers. Naganahalli is around 10 kms from Mysuru Railway Station. Villagers were apprehensive that the entire village of Naganahalli will be levelled for the terminal.

Clearing their doubts, MP Pratap Simha said that the Satellite Terminal will begin at Lakshmipuram and will cover the west of Naganahalli beyond 600 metres of the Naganahalli Railway Station. Further, it will cover a distance of two kilometres till Siddalingapura, he said.

Addressing the villagers, G.T. Devegowda said that the project cost of Rs. 789.29 crore includes land acquisition costs. “We need about 400 acres of land at Naganahalli and surrounding areas and DC, revenue officials have been asked not to accord permission to alienate lands. We will ensure that the compensation will be higher than the prevailing rates,” he said. The Minister assured that one member of the land loser’s family will get employment.

On their part, the villagers demanded better prices for the land as it is well irrigated and fertile and their lives depended on the crops cultivated. Both Pratap Simha and G.T. Devegowda assured of better prices, employment and the development of entire Naganahalli as a Satellite City.

The proposal for a second railway terminal was first mooted in 2007 and has taken 11 years for the same to make it to the Pink Book’ (a registry detailing all approved projects and allocations made) of Indian Railways.

The objective behind the satellite Terminal Station at Naganahalli is to decongest the existing facility in the city to ensure the movement of additional trains and provide better service to passengers, besides introduction of new trains to enhance connectivity.

The existing Mysuru station at present handles 70 trains per day and its capacity was saturated. The satellite terminal can take care of the projected 10 percent growth in the passenger traffic in Mysuru for the next 25 years. (With inputs from UNI)