In its audit performance report, the CAG of India has expressed concerns about delay in implementation of the ambitious dedicated freight corridor project and several other capacity expansion projects undertaken by Indian railways In its audit performance report of Indian Railways tabled on Tuesday in the Parliament, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has expressed concerns over the relaxed attitude of Indian Railways towards capacity expansion projects, which is vital to boost freight business. In the report CAG has stated that major freight terminals handling more that 30 rakes in a month suffer from inadequate infrastructure. When ShippingBiz360 tried to find out the reasons for the same, several interesting facts came up.
 Land acquisition problems delay capacity expansion projects
In this context, Kuldeep Chaturvedi, general manager of South Western Railways, over a telephonic conversion with a ShippingBiz360 correspondent, opines, “One of the major reasons for delay in execution of capacity expansion projects is land acquisition problems. Several land acquisition projects are delayed due to litigations, which in turn hampers projects undertaken by Indian Railways. The onus of acquiring land lies with the respective state governments.”
In its report, CAG has also expressed concerns over the delay in execution of the ambitious dedicated freight corridor (DFC) project, which is to be completed by 2016. According to Vinay Mittal, general manger of North Western Railways, “There are several capacity expansion projects that are going on in the 16 railway zones of the country. Execution of the projects depends on availability of funds. NWR has carried out several projects to facilitate movement of goods and passenger trains.”
Other findings
The CAG report also indicated that Indian Railways must bear in mind the wear and tear of rolling stocks and rails and therefore invest in capacity augmentation to continue generating high levels of traffic. It also stated that instability of rakes and lack of efficient interchange commitments between the zones have disrupted freight services to a great extent. Meanwhile, CAG has suggested that Indian Railways should ensure that initiatives for modernisation of freight terminals are implemented properly in the various zones to prevent stagnation of goods and trains at freight terminals.
Arup Choudhury |
