Bengaluru, Feb 1 (NationPress) Karnataka's Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M.B. Patil, expressed on Sunday that while the Union Budget's proposal for establishing high-speed rail corridors between Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Bengaluru-Chennai is a positive step, it provides minimal advantages.

During a press conference regarding the Union Budget for 2026-27, as presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Patil emphasized that a high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Pune should have been prioritized instead. He urged members of Parliament from both Karnataka and Maharashtra to advocate for this issue in a collaborative and non-partisan manner.

“In both proposed routes, the trains will not even cover 100 kilometers within Karnataka,” he stated.

He conveyed his discontent that this consideration was overlooked by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi administration.

Patil also mentioned that the state has demanded the designation of the Upper Krishna Project as a national initiative, alongside the release of the already announced Rs 5,600 crore for the Upper Bhadra Project.

“However, the Budget lacks any reference to either of these projects. Furthermore, it does not present a single initiative aimed at supporting the farming community,” he highlighted.

He remarked that, similar to prior years, the Budget has disappointed the state. Nevertheless, he noted that the proposals for creating university townships and five regional medical tourism hubs appear to be influenced by Karnataka’s KWIN City concept.

Minister Patil added that the state sought approval for two defense corridor projects.

“Given Karnataka's robust aerospace and defense industrial ecosystem, these should have been included in the Budget. Unfortunately, the Finance Minister did not even acknowledge the proposal, which is a disservice to the state,” he remarked.

He explained that the KWIN City initiative will span a total of 5,000 acres.

“In its initial phase, development will occur over 2,000 acres, with ongoing works. The project aims to establish campuses for leading global universities, quality hospitals, and research facilities,” he said.

The minister confirmed that several agreements have already been signed regarding this initiative, with all these plans expected to be fully realized within the next two years.

“By introducing similar projects in the Union Budget, the Central government is effectively adopting Karnataka's model,” he stated.

Additionally, the minister mentioned that the biopharma hub proposal reflects the state’s initiatives.

“A dedicated vision group has been established in Karnataka for this purpose. It is clear that the Union Budget is drawing from Karnataka’s development-focused models,” he remarked.

Minister Patil concluded by stating that considering the state's significant contributions in terms of tax revenue, industrial growth, and other sectors, it is reasonable to expect the Central government to extend more advantageous projects to Karnataka.