The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Host of Railway projects hanging fire

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Sunday, Jun 07, 2009
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Host of Railway projects hanging fire

Staff Reporter

Construction wing blamed for delay in line-doubling

KOCHI: The construction wing of the Railways is facing flak from within the department and Railway users over the inordinate delay in completing rail doubling works between Ernakulam and Kayankulam.

A host of other projects too are encountering huge delays, a prominent among them being the commissioning of platform six of the Ernakulam Junction railway station.

Though most of the doubling work on the 18-km-long Ernakulam-Mulanthuruthy section is over, the line is yet to be commissioned. In the Chenganoor-Kayankulam sector, doubling work has been seriously hampered because of a host of problems.

A senior official in the construction wing said that the Railways plans to commission the stretch up to Mulanthuruthy in one go.

“We are encountering delays, mainly because of labour problems. Thus, workers cannot be deputed simultaneously in many sites,” he said.

There is difficulty in getting contractors and labourers since the Railways reportedly prefers to award doubling works in bulk (covering long distances), for which most contractors in the State are ill-equipped.

Land acquisition

The delay in acquiring land and problems relating to transporting mud (around 60,000 tipper lorry loads) for laying the tracks, too are cited as the reasons for the delay.

The organisation seldom assesses the local market situation before floating tenders. “Out in Kerala, works can be divided among experienced A-grade contractors, so that they are completed on schedule,” said Viju Choolakkal, general secretary of the Karithala Poura Samithi.

He spoke of how over Rs 500 crore worth funds that were meant for doubling and related works in Kerala was diverted to other States because of the delay in carrying out earth works and the laying of lines.

Sixth platform

Commissioning of the sixth platform at the Ernakulam Junction station has been delayed by over five years, simply because of the lack of will power in carrying out modifications to the railway’s electrical lines and the signalling system.

The Railways is also yet to take over the building constructed by the GCDA on the eastern entry to the station.

A number of offices that now function in ill-maintained buildings (many of which would have to be pulled down for the Kochi metro rail) on the main entrance can be shifted to the building.

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