The Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KKCCI) has strongly condemned what it calls a “dual blow” to the regional headquarters of Kalaburagi, citing the city’s exclusion from the newly announced Mumbai-Bengaluru high-speed rail route and the discontinuation of key flight services from its airport. The chamber, in a release issued on Friday, accused both the State and Union governments of “gross negligence,” which is severely impacting the region’s growth and causing “deep disappointment among citizens”.
Rail route
The KKCCI expressed serious concern over the decision to route the Mumbai-Bengaluru high-speed train via Hubballi, deliberately bypassing Kalaburagi. The chamber asserted that the Kalaburagi corridor is the central railway route connecting North and South India, and is technically superior, being fully electrified and capable of 130 kmph speeds. In contrast, the chosen Hubballi route is reportedly nearly 100 km longer.
The snub comes months after Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna visited the KKCCI on June 1. At that time, in response to a request for a direct superfast train between Kalaburagi and Bengaluru, the Minister had assured that “sweet news” would be forthcoming within six months. However, the latest announcements have been made in favour of Hubballi and Tumakuru, leaving Kalaburagi’s long-pending demands “unaddressed”. The KKCCI has now urged the concerned authorities to review this decision “in the spirit of balanced regional development”.
