Title - Wait for South East Central Railway nod delays Itwari railway overbridge

NAGPUR: Delayed over the allotment of land on lease to complete the construction of Itwari railway overbridge from South East Central Railway, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has approached the state government to seek its help to complete the project.A senior NMC officer confirmed the development to TOI. On Tuesday, NMC's senior officials from public works department had a videoconferencing with state chief secretary Jayant Kumar Banthia. The conference was organized to review various central and state government projects launched in the city.Banthia expressed concern over tardy progress of construction of Itwari ROB, a critical traffic link for east Nagpur. He was shocked when he was informed that the ROB was sanctioned by the central government under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in January 2007 and should have been completed by February 2010. When it was sanctioned, the cost was Rs9.03 crore. However, the tender-approved cost of the project was Rs17.05 crore. Now the cost is over Rs22 crore. The present ROB is narrow and needs to be replaced."SECR is delaying the project as it is yet to give approval for leasing out its land for ROB project," Banthia was told. Some portion of the railway land is required to NMC so that pillars could be constructed on it. Despite the fact that the NMC had applied for permission well in time, the SECR's head office in Bilaspur referred the matter to the union ministry in Delhi.

Sources said the civic body has almost completed the retaining wall of the overbridge from both Itwari railway station and Mirchi Bazar ends. The wall is 280 metres long on either side. The work on footing of suspended portion of the bridge had also started, added the officer. Sources said the railway's permission is mandatory.

Earlier, zonal headquarters could give permission but norms changed and they have to be cleared by the railway ministry. So the proposal is now pending in Delhi.

"Later, Banthia directed the state transport secretary Shailesh Sharma to pursue the issue with the railway ministry," said the officer.