Sun Feb 02 19:06:22 IST 2025: ## Yadgir-Almatti Railway Line Snubbed in Union Budget

**Yadgir, Karnataka, February 2, 2025** – A proposed railway line connecting Almatti in Vijayapura district to Yadgir, aimed at improving connectivity between Kittur Karnataka and Kalyan Karnataka, has been omitted from the 2025-26 Union Budget. The news has sparked disappointment among local residents and advocacy groups who have long championed the project.

The Almatti-Hunsagi-Yadgir Railway Horata Samiti, along with Raichur MP G. Kumar Naik, had previously lobbied extensively with railway ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and V. Somanna for the line’s approval. The proposed route, covering towns including Nidagundi, Muddebihal, Talikote, Hunsagi, Shorapur, Hattigudur, Wadagera, and Yadgir, would significantly reduce travel time between Yadgir and Vijayapura from the current 328 km to 165 km.

Chandrasekhar Dandin, president of the samiti, expressed deep frustration at the budget’s silence on the project, describing the omission as a display of the Union government’s negligence towards the region’s development needs. Similarly, stage performer Basavaraj Mamani voiced disappointment, stating that hopes for improved connectivity to the backward region had been dashed.

While the budget allocated ₹7,564 crore for railway projects in Karnataka, including funds for the ongoing Gadag-Wadi line (which partially covers Yadgir), the lack of funding for the Almatti-Yadgir line has left local communities feeling neglected. Despite this setback, the samiti has vowed to continue its efforts to secure approval for the crucial railway link.

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