ProUI

A parliamentary committee has recommended suitable funding mechanism for rail projects for development of backward areas in the country."Railways should formulate a viable funding mechanism for development of backward mechanism through routes such as cost sharing by state governments, getting free land from the beneficiary states and also by generating funds internally through scrupulous implementation of financial discipline," Railway Convention Committee has stated in its report tabled in Parliament today.

The committee has also suggested for cutting wasteful expenditure and probing other avenues such as commercial use of railways surplus land rather than solely being depending upon Gross Budgetary Support.

The committee headed by BJD MP Arjun Charan Sethi has found that there is no laid down policy of state-wise categorisation regarding identification of projects on socio- economic considerations. "There was no classification of ongoing projects on the basis backward, tribal and underdeveloped area," the report said.

The committee has strongly felt that there had to be an exclusive monitoring mechanism in railways for the projects in backward areas to oversee the progress of the projects.

The committee has emphasised that the basic consideration should be the overall development of backward regions, tribal and hilly areas and other under-development areas.

The committee in its report stated that proper policy and basis of identification of projects on socio-economic consideration should be mandatory as it would help the Railways in completing the surveys of the projects in time and prioritize the implementation of projects.

It has recommended that the Railways should clearly lay down policy for identification of areas to be developed through railways' participation state-wise, identification of projects on socio-economic consideration, develop concrete basis such as economic development indices and demand from public representatives.

The committee emphasized that details of projects should be maintained separately for backward, tribal and underdevelopment areas to facilitate proper monitoring of utilisation of funds and progress.

The team representing Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) 10{+t}{+h}Battalion, based at Dhanbad in Jharkhand, emerged overall winner in the 28{+t}{+h}RPSF inter-battalion basketball tournament that concluded here on Friday. The team beat RPSF 5{+t}{+h}Battalion based at Tiruchi in the final that was held on the sprawling RPSF Battalion premises.

A parliamentary committee has recommended suitable funding mechanism for rail projects for development of backward areas in the country."Railways should formulate a viable funding mechanism for development of backward mechanism through routes such as cost sharing by state governments, getting free land from the beneficiary states and also by generating funds internally through scrupulous implementation of financial discipline," Railway Convention Committee has stated in its report tabled in Parliament today.

The committee has also suggested for cutting wasteful expenditure and probing other avenues such as commercial use of railways surplus land rather than solely being depending upon Gross Budgetary Support.

The committee headed by BJD MP Arjun Charan Sethi has found that there is no laid down policy of state-wise categorisation regarding identification of projects on socio- economic considerations. "There was no classification of ongoing projects on the basis backward, tribal and underdeveloped area," the report said.

The committee has strongly felt that there had to be an exclusive monitoring mechanism in railways for the projects in backward areas to oversee the progress of the projects.

The committee has emphasised that the basic consideration should be the overall development of backward regions, tribal and hilly areas and other under-development areas.

The committee in its report stated that proper policy and basis of identification of projects on socio-economic consideration should be mandatory as it would help the Railways in completing the surveys of the projects in time and prioritize the implementation of projects.

It has recommended that the Railways should clearly lay down policy for identification of areas to be developed through railways' participation state-wise, identification of projects on socio-economic consideration, develop concrete basis such as economic development indices and demand from public representatives.

The committee emphasized that details of projects should be maintained separately for backward, tribal and underdevelopment areas to facilitate proper monitoring of utilisation of funds and progress.

Regular passenger train service from Virudhunagar to Karaikudi via Manamadurai begins on Saturday.The Virudhunagar-Manamadurai section was closed for gauge conversion five years back, and the broad gauge line was laid at a cost of Rs.178 crore. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation K.C. Venugopal dedicated the track to the nation at a function in Aruppukottai on July 14.The first train to run on the new track, Puducherry-Kanyakumari weekly special (Train number 06861), was flagged off by Union Minister of State for Railways Surya Prakash Reddy at Puducherry on July 15.Since then, there has been a demand from the public and rail commuters for a regular passenger train service as it is the shortest route to reach Rameswaram and delta districts. The daily service will also benefit the residents of Aruppukottai, Thiruchuzhi and Narikudi.Everyday except Sundays, the Virudhunagar-Karaikudi train (number 76838) will leave Virudhunagar at 6.00 a.m. and reach Manamadurai at 7.40 a.m. It will leave Manamadurai after a 10-minute halt and reach Karaikudi at 9.40 a.m.In the return direction, except on Saturdays, the Karaikudi- Virudhunagar (train number 76837) will leave Manamadurai at 7.45 p.m. and reach Virudhunagar at 9.35 p.m.The ticket fare from Virudhunagar to Aruppukottai, a distance of 22 km, is Rs.5 in the passenger train, whereas the fare is Rs.30 in express train. The fare for Virudhunagar to Manamadurai – 67 km – is Rs.15 in passenger train and Rs.35 in express train. While the fare for Virudhunagar to Karaikudi is Rs.25 in passenger train, it is Rs.50 in express train. Congress MP Manicka Tagore is expected to flag off the Virudhunagar-Karaikudi train service here on Saturday in the presence of Divisional Railway Manager (Madurai) A.K.Rastogi, Assistant DRM Ajith Kumar.

Rail In fact the bookings for the two special trains started on Friday. The special train is Ranchi to Katihar Express train which will run on every Sunday and Wednesday. The first journey of this special train would begin on October 6.

Canning: Seven policemen were injured today in a scuffle when they went to lift a railway blockade by daily passengers at Sonarpur station of Eastern Railway.The police said the passengers also ransacked the station premises demanding more local trains to Sealdah station in Kolkata at about 8.00 am.The incident happened this morning when angry passengers sat on the railway tracks complaining inordinate delay in movement of suburban local trains to Kolkata, sources said.The passengers turned violent after local trains reached after a long delay causing overcrowding due to which many failed to board the trains.Local train services from Sealdah station to Canning, Diamond Harbour, Lakshmikantapur, Baruipur and Namkhana in South 24-Pargans district were disrupted as a result of the blockade, railway officials said.The passengers demanded more trains and timely operation, sources said, adding that the blockade was lifted at 1.00 pm.

पूर्व मध्य रेलवे के मुख्य प्रशासनिक अधिकारी अनिल मित्तल ने शुक्रवार को रक्सौल से छौड़ादानों तक आमान परिवर्तन कार्य का निरीक्षण किया। इस क्रम में उन्होंने मिट्टी भराई, इंटर लॉकिंग, पुल निर्माण सहित अन्य कार्यो का निरीक्षण कर आवश्यक दिशा निर्देश दिये। वहीं रेलवे यार्ड, प्लेटफार्म व नहर रेलवे ढाला की सूक्ष्मता से जांच की। साथ ही सहायक स्टेशन मास्टर के ऑपरेटिँग भवन का भी निरीक्षण किया। कार्योँ को देख उन्होंने संतोष जताया। इसके उपरांत उन्होंने प्रेस वार्ता के दौरान कहा कि हम कोशिश में हैं कि आगामी अक्टूबर माह से छौड़ादानों से रक्सौल रेलखंड पर ट्रेनों का परिचालन हो सके। इसके लिए अधिकारियों को तेजी से कार्य कराने का निर्देश दिया गया है। निरीक्षण के क्रम में मुख्य अभियंता वीएस चितौड़िया, उप मुख्य अभियंता संजय कुमार गुप्ता, पीडब्ल्यूआई बीएन चौबे, एरियन एसबी सिंह सहित अन्य अधिकारी मौजूद थे।

डेंगू के बढ़ रहे मामलों को ध्यान में रखते हुए दक्षिणी दिल्ली नगर निगम (एसडीएमसी) के सहयोग से दिल्ली रेल मंडल ने शुक्रवार को मस्कीटो टर्मिनेटर (मच्छर नाशक) ट्रेन शुरू की है। जिससे रेल पटरियों के आसपास मच्छर मारने की दवा का छिड़काव किया जा रहा है।
एसडीएमसी ने ट्रक पर लगा हुआ पावर स्प्रेयर उपलब्ध कराया है, जिसे रेलवे ने विशेष वैगन पर चढ़ाकर इसे ट्रैक पर चलाते हुए विभिन्न इलाकों में घुमाकर दवा का छिड़काव कर रहा है। मच्छर नाशक ट्रेन को शुक्रवार सुबह लगभग पौने दस बजे नई दिल्ली रेलवे स्टेशन के प्लेटफॉर्म नंबर एक से डीआरएम अनुराग सचान व एसडीएमसी के स्वास्थ्य अधिकारी एनके यादव ने हरी झंडी दिखाकर रवाना किया। यह ट्रेन सराय रोहिल्ला, पटेल नगर, दिल्ली सफदरजंग, दिल्ली किशनगंज, लाजपतनगर, हजरत निजामुद्दीन, आदर्श नगर, राठधना, दिल्ली शाहदरा, पालम तथा गुड़गांव होकर गुजरेगी। सितंबर व अक्टूबर में डेंगू तथा अन्य रोगों का अधिक खतरा रहता है। इसलिए इस दौरान दो-दो दिनों के चार चरण में छिड़काव किए जाएंगे। एक चक्कर में दो दिन की अवधि में यह ट्रेन करीब डेढ़ सौ किलोमीटर की दूरी तय करेगी।
एनके यादव ने कहा कि रेलवे लाइनों के आसपास घनी आबादी रहती है, इनमें अधिकांश झुग्गी झोपड़ी हैं। रेलवे लाइन के आसपास बारिश का पानी जमा हो जाने से वहां मच्छर पनपते हैं। इसलिए इस क्षेत्र में रहने वालों को डेंगू व मलेरिया जैसी बीमारियां ज्यादा होती हैं। मच्छर नाशक दवाओं के छिड़काव से रेलवे लाइन के आसपास मच्छरों के प्रजनन पर नियंत्रण पाया जा सकेगा। हाथ से इतने बड़े क्षेत्र में मच्छर नाशक दवाओं का प्रभावकारी ढंग से प्रयोग करना संभव नहीं हो सकता, इसलिए शक्तिशाली स्प्रे के माध्यम से रेलवे लाइनों के आसपास 50 से 60 मीटर के क्षेत्र में दवाओं का छिड़काव किया जा रहा है। जिससे एक बड़े क्षेत्र में मच्छरजनित रोगों पर आसानी से काबू पाया जा सकेगा।

Jammu:The much-awaited project of the rail connectivity to Katra - the base camp of cave shrine of Goddess Vaishno Devi in Reasi district - is set to be a reality now as the Ferozpur division of the Northern Railway has given its approval to the opening of 25-km-long Udhampur-Katra section.The Northern Railway, however, is yet to announce the date for making the Udhampur-Katra section operational for passenger trains as it awaits the final clearance from the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS), which will conduct the inspection after the trial run on the section before throwing it open for passenger trains.“The Ferozpur division of the Northern Railway has given its approval for opening of the Udhampur-Katra section as the railway track is finally ready for the movement of passenger trains. In this regard, the Ferozpur division wrote a letter to the authorities of all stations falling under the division on August 19, asking them to make suitable arrangements in accordance with the decision,” an official source said. Sources said there would be three stations — Udhampur, Chak Rakhwal in Udhampur district and Shri Vaishno Devi Katra on the Udhampur-Katra rail link. “The Chak Rakhwal station has been set up 9.3 km away from the Udhampur station.,” a source said.N C Goyal, Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozpur Division, when contacted, said the final clearance to the project would be given by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.“The construction of tunnels has been completed. The authorities are likely to make the rail track operational by October,” an official said.

On track

Udhampur-Katra section will have 11-km of tunnelling passage, nine major bridges, 29 minor bridges and 10 rail under-bridges. The tallest bridge on the section is 85 metres and the longest tunnel is 3.15 km.

PATNA: Frequently targeted by Maoists and protesters during bandhs and issues as trivial as death of a cattle on tracks respectively, the East Central Railway (ECR) zone has incurred a loss of over Rs 17.26 crore in the past three years.The ECR lost over Rs 2.26 crore between 2011 till June this year on account of damage to its properties by agitators, Inspector General of Police of Railway Protection Force (RPF), ECR, Atul Pathak told PTI.The damage on this account was maximum in 2011 at Rs 1.36 crore.The zone suffered a loss of over Rs 9.58 crore due to damage to ECR properties caused by outlawed Maoists groups.Headquartered at Hajipur, ECR comprises five divisions -- Danapur, Mughalsarai, Dhanbad, Sonepur and Samastipur.Burning of 22 coaches and two engines by protesters at Dhamaraghat in Khagaria district after 28 devotees were mowed down by Saharsa-Patna on August 19 bled the Railway Rs 15 crore, Pathak said.In view of the situation, he said, the RPF and other agencies have tightened security across the zone.ECR Chief Public Relations Officer Amitabh Prabhakar said that awareness campaigns were being carried out regularly to educate people against causing damage to railway properties.It has been witnessed that Railways became the victim of public anger on even petty issues like death of a cow or goat on tracks or agitation against delay in issuing marksheets to college students.Recently, bandh sponsored by RJD and BJP in Saran over the death of 23 children after eating poisonous midday meal saw large scale damage to railway properties and stoppage of many trains.