KALABURAGI: Almost after a decade, the Kalaburagi-Bidar Railway Line will finally become a reality with everything in place for its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 6 pm in Bidar on Sunday. The PM will also flag off a push-pull train between Bidar and Kalaburagi on the occasion.
Though BJP leaders want to take the credit for the railway project, the actual credit should go to all the three major political parties — the Congress, the Janata Dal and the BJP which played their own roles in realising it.
The railway line was conceived when the then Railway Minister C K Jaffer Sharief visited Bidar in 1994 for the inauguration of a Bidar-Bengaluru train.
Railway sources said in due course of time, Bengaluru-New Delhi Express, Bidar-Bengaluru Express and Bidar-Mumbai Express will operate on this railway line.
Except PM, no clue about other VVIPs
Though hardly 48 hours is left for the inauguration of the Bidar-Kalaburagi Railway Line, there is still uncertainty over which VVIPs will participate in the inaugural function.
Deputy General Manager of South Central Railway Amit Vardha, who addressed a press conference in Bidar on Friday, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would arrive in Bidar at 5.50 pm and would inaugurate Bidar-Kalaburagi Railway Line at Bidar Railway Station at 6 pm.
On the arrival of other VVIPs along with the Prime Minister, Vardha said he does not know about it. He said the Prime Minister would be at the railway station from till 6.15 pm. To a question, he said as per protocol, the Railways has people to the programme.
Bidar SP Devaraj said the police department has not received the tour programme of any of the VVIPs of either the Union government or the state government except the Prime Minister. The Special Protection Group and senior police officers of Karnataka have already arrived in Bidar for the security arrangements, Devaraj said.
A public function will be organised at Nehru Stadium from 6.30 pm to 7.15 pm, sources in the BJP told Express. The party expects about 1 lakh people to attend the event.
Bidar district and municipal administration minister Eshwar Khandre told Express over phone that though neither he nor CM Siddaramaiah have received the official invitation so far, he and minister for medium and large scale industries R V Deshpande would receive the Prime Minister at Bidar Airport as per protocol and would attend the inaugural function.