Work on new railway line in Marathwada gets boost
Rail connectivity in the region was a dream project of the late union minister and BJP leader Gopinath Munde
PUBLISHED: 17:20 JUNE 2, 2015 Gulf News
BY PAMELA RAGHUNATH, CORRESPONDENT
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Mumbai The much-awaited Ahmednagar-Beed-Parli Vaijnath 261-km railway project got a boost today as the Maharashtra government decided to share 50 per cent of the cost of construction.
Rail connectivity in the Marathwada region, where this route passes through, was a dream project of the late union minister and BJP leader Gopinath Munde, who hailed from this region. Munde died exactly a year back on June 3, 2014 in an accident and this step would be a tribute to the late senior BJP leader. Hastening of this project, encumbered by land acquisition to lay the tracks, will bring a huge relief to the people of this region, who have been waiting for rail connectivity for decades.
Today, the state cabinet took a decision to participate in the building of the new railway line by spending Rs14.13 billion (Dh813.5 million) of the total estimated cost of Rs28.26 billion.
The Marathwada region in the interior of the state has seen far less development than Western Maharashtra and the new railway line would go a long way in bringing economic progress to this zone.
While there is no deadline for the completion of the project, the cabinet took a decision to complete it as early as possible. Financial provisions for the project would be made available in phases.
Due to the delay in construction, the cost of the project has gone up when in February 2009, the construction cost stood at Rs10.10 billion with a decision that Rs5.05 billion would be the state’s share. Work on the project is currently in progress.
Last week, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya had briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video conference that the land acquisition process for this railway line was almost complete.
Apparently, Modi had instructed Kshatriya that the rail line should be completed within a stipulated time. The 261-km long railway line will need 1,650 hectares of land, out of which 1,250 hectares has been acquired by the state government. He also informed Modi that the final cost of the project would be conveyed to the railway ministry.