CHENNAI, June 27: Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda is doing what he likes best inaugurating railway projects, which he did so frequently when he was in office. He is all set to inaugurate the `commencement of works' of the new 166 km Bangalore-Hassan broad gauge line on June 29.

After announcing the project during a function on August 23, 1996, he inaugurated a survey for the same on October 14, 1996. A total of three functions for a project are over even before its completion.

The Bangalore-Hassan Rs 295 crore link is a parallel BG line and will be routed via Shravanabelagola, Belur and other tourist spots in Karnataka like Chennarayapatna and Kunigal.

The railways have evolved an ingenious strategy to get maximum publicity. The function will be held in two different places one at Hassan, where the foundation stone will be laid for the project, and the other at Adi Chunchunagiri, where a foundation stone will be laid for all the stations which will come up enroute.

Apart from Gowda, Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel are expected to participate in the functions. Helicopters will ferry the VVIPs to the various functions slated for the day.

Gowda will also `dedicate to the nation' the Whitefield-Malur doubling link. The section has already been opened to traffic long time ago.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.