New Delhi, Feb 5 : Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Thursday congratulated Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for allocating higher funds and announcing major projects for the railway sector in the Union Budget, going beyond the immediate needs of the nation.

Deve Gowda urged that the Bengaluru-Hyderabad high-speed railway corridor be extended up to Bidar.

In a letter addressed to the Railway Minister, the former Prime Minister appreciated the announcement of seven new high-speed rail corridors, covering nearly 4,000 km, in the 2026 Budget.

He said these corridors would act as growth connectors, promoting sustainable transport and economic development.

Among them, the Chennai-Bengaluru-Hyderabad corridor (including the Hyderabad-Chennai and Chennai-Bengaluru sections) will create a high-speed triangle in the southern region. This corridor will directly address the aspirations and mobility needs of the people of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, while also benefiting Kerala and Puducherry, he stated.

He noted that other corridors such as Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri would connect major urban, industrial and spiritual centres across the country. These projects would significantly reduce travel time and attract investments worth Rs 16 lakh crore.

He said this visionary initiative aligns seamlessly with the ambitious goal of Viksit Bharat 2047 and will accelerate Indiaâ??s journey towards a developed, modern economy driven by world-class infrastructure.

Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda urged that the Bengaluru-Hyderabad high-speed railway corridor be extended up to Bidar, stating that this would greatly benefit the regions of North Karnataka and Telangana. He said the extension would address the long-standing needs of the Bidar region.

He also emphasised the need for improved internal connectivity within Karnataka. The distance between Bengaluru and Belagavi is about 600 km, and the current travel time by road or rail generally ranges from eight to ten hours. Such long travel durations severely hinder development between North and South Karnataka. A high-speed rail corridor connecting Bengaluruâ??Belagaviâ??Puneâ??Mumbai would be immensely beneficial, he said.

Meanwhile, an official statement from Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy stated that the Central government has agreed to provide a loan facility of Rs 150 crore through the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for the expansion project of the Hassan Mega Dairy.

It said that Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, along with JD (S) MLA and Hassan Milk Union President H.D. Revanna, met Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) and submitted a request.

"Responding promptly to the request made by Minister Kumaraswamy, the Union Minister agreed to sanction a loan of Rs 150 crore through the National Dairy Development Board. Kumaraswamy expressed his gratitude to the Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairying for responding positively to the appeal,â?? the statement said.

/IANS