ProUI

Selection of exclusive developer-contractor for the Rs.5,581-crore project

The pre-expression of interest (EoI) conference to select the exclusive developer-contractor for the Rs.5,581-crore elevated Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on a engineering-procurement-construction turnkey basis will be held on September 2.The pre-EoI is part of the global tenders floated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the general consultant for Kerala Mono Rail Corporation Ltd (KMCL), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up to execute the project in the two cities. Official sources told The Hindu that the pre-EOI would be held in New Delhi at 11 a.m. Initially, it was decided to hold it on August 29. The last date of submission of EoI is October 1 and it will be opened on the same day as per the schedule. Technical and financial bids would be invited only from those who have been pre-qualified through the global EoI. The two-stage tender process to be initiated after October includes Request for Qualification (RFQ) and Request for Proposal (RFP).

Two projects as one

Global tenders had been floated by treating the two monorail projects as one as only a 36.4-km stretch would be covered in the first phase in both the cities.

Firms specialising in MRTS from the U.K., Japan, Malaysia, Korea, and China have evinced interest in the EoI. Official sources said the tenders were being floated to select the companies to design, set up, operate, and maintain the project apart from mobilising funds either through supplier credit or bilateral funding.

In case KMCL opts for supplier credit, the firm that bags the global tender would need to mobilise funds for the project. But, criticism has come up against opting for supplier credit. Apart from the construction work, those selected would have to supply rolling stock, build-up signalling and telecommunication facility, and construct stations and depots in both the cities.

The land for the project in the two cities would be acquired by KMCL at its own cost and handed over to the concessionaire. DMRC Principal Adviser E. Sreedharan has prepared a schedule to complete the tender process in six months and to fix the contract in seven months. The 22.2-km monorail would be from Technocity to Karamana in the capital. In Kozhikode, the 14.2-km rail, with 15 stations, would be from the Government Medical College area to Meenchantha.

रेलवे भर्ती बोर्ड इलाहाबाद की नॉन टेक्निकल पॉपुलर कैटेगरी की परीक्षा में 36.3 फीसद अभ्यर्थियों ने अपनी उपस्थिति दर्ज कराई। इस दौरान एसटीएफ ने केंद्रों पर निगाह रखी थी। वहीं रेलवे भर्ती बोर्ड, गोरखपुर की परीक्षा में रविवार में सिर्फ 22 फीसद अभ्यर्थी ही पहुंचे। परीक्षा 71 केंद्रों में कराई गई।
रेलवे भर्ती बोर्ड गोरखपुर के चेयरमैन एच सिंह के अनुसार रविवार को हुई दो पालियों की परीक्षा में सिर्फ 22 फीसद अभ्यर्थी ही आए। 131 पदों के लिए आयोजित हुई परीक्षा के लिए 5.77 लाख अभ्यर्थियों ने आवेदन किया था। आरआरबी इलाहाबाद की ओर से वाणिज्य लिपिक एवं टिकट परीक्षक, लेखा लिपिक, कनिष्ठ लिपिक सह टंकक, कनिष्ठ गाड़ी लिपिक के 208 पदों के लिए आवेदन पत्र मांगे गए थे। परीक्षा के संचालन के लिए जिले में 50 केंद्र बनाए गए।
तीन ट्रेनों के निरस्तीकरण ने बढ़ाई यात्रियों की परेशानी
रेलवे की परीक्षा के अभ्यर्थियों की भीड़ ट्रेनों और बसों में दिखाई पड़ी। रविवार को अभ्यर्थियों ने ट्रेनों को फुल कर दिया तो बसें भी खचाखच भरकर रवाना हुई। कोढ़ में खाज का काम इलाहाबाद-चोपन, इलाहाबाद-मुगलसराय पैसेंजर एवं लखनऊ-विंध्याचल इंटरसिटी के आंशिक निरस्तीकरण ने किया। वहीं रेल प्रशासन ने अभ्यर्थियों की सुविधा के लिए चारबाग स्टेशन पर अनारक्षित श्रेणी के कई काउंटर खोले गए थे। उधर यात्रियों की भीड़ को देखते हुए चंडीगढ़ एक्सप्रेस में दो स्लीपर कोच, एक कंपोजिट क्लास (आधा सेकेंड व आधा थर्ड एसी), एसी एक्सप्रेस में एक सेकेंड एसी, दो थर्ड एसी और एक फ‌र्स्ट एसी कोच लगाया गया इसी तरह स्वर्ण शताब्दी में दो चेयर कार कोच लगाए गए।

Nearly 2 kilometres away from the Pune railway station, a senior police inspector from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) got assaulted by a Class 1V railway employee and his wife after the couple was accused of smuggling cement, stealing electricity, and procuring an illegal water connection.

The accused identified as Anil Gaikwad was approached by Arvind Kumar Lakhoriya, a senior police inspector attached to the RPF (Pune Circle and heads the reserve police force of RPF) along with his team after they had found that the former who lives in railway quarters had encroached on railway property to build a makeshift shed and was illegally selling cement. They also discovered some gunny bags containing cement stolen from the goods carriers at his residence. The accused were also caught stealing electricity from poles meant for the railways and had secured an illegal water connection.

When police personnel asked the couple about the same, Anil Gaikwad started hurling abuses at Lakhoria. Gaikwad’s wife snatched the shoulder badges of the senior inspector, while her husband pelted stones at him.

The Bund Garden police have booked Gaikwad and his wife under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Indian Electricity Act, 2003.

Selection of exclusive developer-contractor for the Rs.5,581-crore project

The pre-expression of interest (EoI) conference to select the exclusive developer-contractor for the Rs.5,581-crore elevated Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on a engineering-procurement-construction turnkey basis will be held on September 2.The pre-EoI is part of the global tenders floated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the general consultant for Kerala Mono Rail Corporation Ltd (KMCL), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up to execute the project in the two cities. Official sources told The Hindu that the pre-EOI would be held in New Delhi at 11 a.m. Initially, it was decided to hold it on August 29. The last date of submission of EoI is October 1 and it will be opened on the same day as per the schedule. Technical and financial bids would be invited only from those who have been pre-qualified through the global EoI. The two-stage tender process to be initiated after October includes Request for Qualification (RFQ) and Request for Proposal (RFP).

Two projects as one

Global tenders had been floated by treating the two monorail projects as one as only a 36.4-km stretch would be covered in the first phase in both the cities.

Firms specialising in MRTS from the U.K., Japan, Malaysia, Korea, and China have evinced interest in the EoI. Official sources said the tenders were being floated to select the companies to design, set up, operate, and maintain the project apart from mobilising funds either through supplier credit or bilateral funding.

In case KMCL opts for supplier credit, the firm that bags the global tender would need to mobilise funds for the project. But, criticism has come up against opting for supplier credit. Apart from the construction work, those selected would have to supply rolling stock, build-up signalling and telecommunication facility, and construct stations and depots in both the cities.

The land for the project in the two cities would be acquired by KMCL at its own cost and handed over to the concessionaire. DMRC Principal Adviser E. Sreedharan has prepared a schedule to complete the tender process in six months and to fix the contract in seven months. The 22.2-km monorail would be from Technocity to Karamana in the capital. In Kozhikode, the 14.2-km rail, with 15 stations, would be from the Government Medical College area to Meenchantha.

Protest is mounting among the residents of Mahe against the high-speed rail corridor proposed by Kerala that apparently will pass through the Union Territory.The Anti High-Speed Rail Corridor committee carried out protests recently against the project which they said would in no way benefit their region and would prove adverse to the territory which had very high population density.Speaking to The Hindu , Mahe MLA E. Valsaraj said the move to encroach upon the Union Territory for the rail project would be opposed at any cost.“The move may not be deliberate, and the region may have got included while mapping the area for the rail route through satellite. However, since around nine square kilometre of land in the territory with nearly 43,000 residents have been included, the project is bound to affect the development and socio economic activities of the region. Moreover, it carries no benefit to Mahe. The protest may seem premature, but none should take our silence to be consent for the project,” he said.“Mahe cannot even afford to give land for the elevated paths as envisaged in the project, as it required building pillars with a width of 15-20 metres. Moreover, it is an inter-State issue. Also, as per the sketch put up by the Kerala High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited, it is not a straight path and follows a zigzag route. That shows that an alternative route excluding Mahe can be considered,” Mr. Valsaraj said.

The administration and members of the action committee have decided to meet the Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy to apprise him of the issue.

The Union Territory has a very high population density

Project will not benefit Mahe anyway, says MLA

Namakkal-based Makkal Sakthi Iyakkam (People’s Power Movement) has urged railway officials in the Salem Divisional office, Southern Railways, Railway Minister, Members of the Legislative Assemblies and Members of the Parliament in this region to provide various basic amenities to benefit passengers who make use of the Namakkal Railway Station.

District secretary of the Iyakkam, Kaliannan Perumal, alleged that the lethargic attitude of railway officials here by not providing necessary facilities and failing to fulfil their assurances to the people has tarnished the image of the department.

He cited the delay in diverting a number of express trains on the Salem to Karur route (through Namakkal) several months after announcement of the same has disappointed commuters of this district. While passenger train service alone is operated on the route commuters are hit by lack of a link road to the railway station”, he said.

Mr. Kaliannan added that lack of bus service to the railway station has forced people to undergo difficulty in crossing the bumpy mud road to reach the railway station.

The movement has also sought extension of the functioning time of the railway reservation counter on the Mohanur Road, in Namakkal town, by seven hours (from the present 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) till 8 p.m.

प्रतापगढ़ (ब्यूरो)। रेल ड्राइवर की सेवानिवृत्ति पर एक कार्यक्रम का आयोजन जंक्शन के लोको स्टोर के पास किया गया। इसमें ड्राइवर को स्मृति चिन्ह देकर विदाई दी गई।
जंक्शन मुख्यालय पर काम करने वाले रेल ड्राइवर डब्ल्यू ए एंडरसन के सेवानिवृत्त होने पर लोको पायलटों ने एक कार्यक्रम का आयोजन किया। इसमें उन्हें भावभीनी विदाई दी गई। चीफ क्रू कंट्रोलर एसएस मिश्रा ने कहा कि ट्रेन को चलाना जिम्मेदारी भरा काम होता है। एक ड्राइवर के जिम्मे हजारों की जान रहती है। उसकी एक चूक से कई जिंदगियां मौत के मुंह में जा सकती हैं। ऐसे में बिना किसी चूक के अपना कार्यकाल पूरा करना बड़ा कार्य है। एंडरसन हमेशा समय के पाबंद रहे। कार्यक्रम में उन्हें प्रतीक चिन्ह देकर सम्मानित किया गया। इस मौके पर क्रू कंट्रोलर एसडी मिश्रा, आशीष, आरसी मिश्रा, अशोक श्रीवास्तव, रिटायर्ड ड्राइवर नारायण सिंह आदि मौजूद रहे।

Prolonged struggle and persistent demands of city residents for restoring Rockfort Express to Tiruchi finally bore fruit when the train restarted its operation from here on Sunday night.Ever since the train originally introduced in the Tiruchi–Chennai chord line section was extended to Thanjavur at first and later to Kumbakonam some years ago, Tiruchiites had been fighting hard for its operation from Tiruchi - true to its name ‘Rockfort’.They expressed their displeasure over the extension of this popular night train which had been running with packed capacity by resorting to agitations and shooting off memorandums to the railway administration at regular intervals.The extension, however, proved beneficial to travellers from Kumbakonam and Thanjavur for whom the express train was a convenient service at night. Tiruchi-based consumer and other organisations joined hands and formed a committee to retrieve Rockfort Express.Finally, the Railways announced the termination of Rockfort Express in Tiruchi and the operation of a new train from Thanjavur to Chennai.However, the suspense over the exact date of operation of the new train caused concern among travellers from Kumbakonam and Thanjavur who wanted the termination of Rockfort Express in Tiruchi to be done only after introducing the Thanjavur–Chennai night train.

Their anxiety came to an end a few days ago when the Railways announced that the Thanjavur–Chennai express would start operating from September 1 and that Rockfort Express would terminate in Tiruchi.

PIMPRI: Commuters who travel daily to Mumbai from Chinchwad have demanded that the Sinhgad Express should have an additional coach while the Deccan Queen should halt at Chinchwad station.
Nikhil Mahajan, who travels daily to Mumbai by the Sinhgad Express said, “The number of commuters who travel daily to Mumbai from Chinchwad has risen. Sinhgad Express is a convenient train for the people who travel daily to Mumbai.
The train has a reserved coach, half of which is available from Pimpri and the remaining half from Chinchwad. General commuters can’t travel in this reserved coach. The people who travel with a general ticket cannot get space on the train as the general coach is already occupied from Pune.
Another commuter Mahesh Jarad said that Deccan Queen and Pragati Expressed leave after Sinhgad express. But both trains do not halt at Pimpri and Chinchwad.
If these trains halt at Chinchwad, crowding on the Sinhgad Express can be avoided. The Sinhgad Express that leaves from Mumbai at 2:30 pm, reaches Pune at 6:00 pm. After this there is no train from Mumbai that stops in Chinchwad. Pragati and Deccan Queen leave Mumbai at 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm respectively. These trains are of no use of the commuters whose working hours continue till 6:30 pm .
Ranjit Bhosale said, “Latur, Chalukya, Husainsagar or Siddheshwar express that leave Mumbai in the evening should halt at Chinchwad. Commuters should get space these trains. These trains are allowed to cross trains at Talegaon or Malavali hence people boarding a Chinchwad bound train reached their homes late.”
“There is huge rush to board the train as space is limited, Due to this rush, accidents have taken place frequently. To seek respite commuters are going to submit memorandum to the railway administration,” informed Shailendra Chitnis and Milind Khairnar.
THE ISSUE
- Commuters who travel daily to Mumbai from Chinchwad have demanded that the Sinhgad Express should have an additional coach while the Deccan Queen should halt at Chinchwad station.
- The people who travel with a general ticket cannot get space on the train as the general coach is already occupied from Pune.

Unprecedented event in State’s rail history, says Dharam Singh

On Sunday, the residents of the district had a dream six decades old fulfilled, with the inauguration of the direct train to Bangalore.People who had thronged the railway station cheered endlessly as Railway Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge pulled a lever to signal loco pilots to speed away.The train’s whistle was drowned out by the crowd’s joyous outburst. Some raised slogans in favour of Mr. Kharge while others distributed sweets.Ashok Kheny, MLA, said he was so happy that he wanted to name the train after Mr. Kharge.N. Dharam Singh, MP, said it was an “unprecedented event in the State’s railway history.”“I feel as if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked Mr. Kharge to take charge of the railways only to make sure that this train was started. If not for Mr. Kharge, this would not have happened,” Mr. Singh said.This train will not only attract industrial investment to Bidar, but also promote tourism in the city, he felt.“What is more, the governance of the district would improve, as Ministers and senior officials can now make frequent visits to Bidar to monitor the progress of departments,” the MP said.He urged railway officials to start the Bidar-Hyderabad intercity express train from Nampalli rather than Secunderabad, as it would help petty traders and labourers.

‘Extend this line’

Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli and Prabhu Chauhan, MLAs, sought a line between Bidar-Aurad-Deglur-Nanded. Mr. Chauhan sought extension of the Mumbai-Latur train to Bidar.

Ishwar Khandre, MLA, said it was “a gift to the district” by Mr. Kharge who was born in Waravatti in Bhalki, though he built his political career in Gulbarga. Mr. Khandre sought a train from Bhalki and Bidar to Tirupati, by linking it with trains on the Parli Vaijanath-Bangalore line. Raghunath Malkapure, MLC, urged Mr. Kharge and Mr. Singh to see that Bidar was selected for establishment of the centrally funded scheme of National Investment Manufacturing Zone, to help setting up of industries.

A.K. Mittal, General Manager, South Western Railway, said work on the Bidar-Gulbarga rail line was 42 per cent complete. Work is in progress on the Raichur-Gadwal line, he said. The Bidar- Yeshwanthpur train would be maintained in Yeshwanthpur initially.

“We have started work on water supply systems and maintenance centres in Bidar. They will be completed in six months. The maintenance operations will shift to Bidar then,” he said.