Dharwad–Belagavi Via Kittur Railway Line Stuck Over Land Acquisition, Minister Confirms In Lok Sabha

A question on the long-pending Dharwad–Belagavi via Kittur new railway line was raised in the Lok Sabha by MP Belagavi Jagadish Shettar, seeking clarity on Karnataka’s sanctioned projects, ongoing works, and delays.Responding to Unstarred Question No. 1625, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw provided the official status of the project. 73-km Dharwad–Belagavi via Kittur Line: Sanctioned but Stalled The Minister confirmed that the 73 km new line has already been sanctioned on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis, with the Government of Karnataka required to provide land free of cost.However, the project has not progressed at all because of delays in land acquisition by the State Government. According to the reply, the project requires 581 hectares of land, of which zero hectares have been acquired so far, leaving the entire 581 ha pending.This places the Dharwad–Belagavi route among the major Karnataka railway projects held up entirely due to land-related issues. The Ministry stated that while the Government of India is fully prepared to execute the project, actual work can only begin once Karnataka completes the required land acquisition. No timeline for completion can therefore be provided at this stage. Karnataka Railway Projects: Summary of the Minister’s Response Beyond the Dharwad–Belagavi line, the Minister also presented an overview of Karnataka’s railway development: 25 rail projects (15 new lines, 10 doubling), totalling 3,264 km, are sanctioned in the state, with ₹21,310 crore spent up to March 2025. Recent years have seen a 9× increase in annual budget outlay for Karnataka rail infrastructure—from ₹835 crore/year (2009–14) to ₹7,564 crore in 2025–26. Several major new lines and doubling projects have been completed, including Kottur–Harihar, Hassan–Bengaluru, Bidar–Gulbarga, and multiple doubling sections. 65 new surveys for Karnataka (25 new lines, 40 doubling) covering 7,239 km have been sanctioned in the last three years. Statewide land acquisition remains a bottleneck: of 9,020 ha required, only 5,679 ha (63%) has been acquired, leaving 3,341 ha pending. Apart from the Dharwad–Belagavi line, other delayed projects due to zero land acquisition include Shimoga–Harihar, Whitefield–Kolar, and Hassan–Belur. AU1625_GEJTkD The Minister reiterated that project timelines depend heavily on land acquisition, forest clearances, utility shifting, terrain, and other statutory approvals. The Lok Sabha reply makes it clear that the Dharwad–Belagavi via Kittur railway project is fully sanctioned but cannot begin until Karnataka hands over the required land.