RailEnquiry

AURANGABAD: Reiterating the longstanding demand for a Solapur-Jalgaon railway route, the Marathwada Railway Vikas Samiti (MRVS) alleged that the railway authorities had conducted the preliminary survey of the stretch ignoring the historically significant destinations of Paithan, Aurangabad and Sillod.According to MRVS, although the ministry of railways had announced the route of Solapur - Tuljapur - Osmanabad - Beed - Gevrai - Paithan - Aurangabad - Ghrushenshwar - Sillod - Ajantha - Jalgaon, the railways did not carry out preliminary engineering and traffic survey for the proposed line passing through Paithan, Aurangabad and Sillod.MRVS president Omprakash Varma said that the survey of the proposed 450-km long railway route was sanctioned in 2008-09 but the authorities took years to complete it. "Initially, the railway authorities said that they were doing the survey of the proposed route. But recently, they said that the survey was complete and changed the route of the proposed line," he said.

The route was expected to cover Paithan, Sillod and Aurangabad, but these destinations have been bypassed in the new survey report, he added. As per the new report, the route will now pass from Ambad and Bhokardan in Jalna district bypassing Aurangabad.

Varma alleged that the railway authorities had kept people of Aurangabad in dark. "Under right to information act, when I obtained the details from the railways, the authorities said the survey was going on. On three to four occasions, they maintained their stand but recently they said the work was complete and declared the new route," he said.

He said that he would attract chief minister Prithviraj Chavan's attention towards the issue and urge him to retain the original plan. "For the past many decades, people are demanding a railway route from Solapur to Jalgaon via Auranagabad," he said.

Commenting on the matter, Aurangabad MP Chandrakant Khaire said he would take up the issue with the railway minister and urge him to maintain the previous plan. "Looking at the historical importance of the place, we strongly believe that rail route must go through Aurangabad. It will attract more tourists and give boost to the local economy," he said. Khaire said he would again raise the issue with railway authorities in New Delhi next month.

Meanwhile, a senior officer of chief engineer rank, on the condition of anonymity, said that the plan was still at a nascent stage. "We have only completed the preliminary survey and it is too early to say that some places were excluded," he said.