the goan I network
MARGAO
Days after the South Goa district Collector threatened to invoke the Railways Act to acquire land for the double tracking project, the Railways has moved the Centre to notify the project as “special railway Project” in Goa, a pre-condition before land admeasuring 27,463 sq mts is acquired for the project under the Railways Act.
In another development, the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd has moved a note to the State government with a proposal to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Railways as per the requirements of the Railways Act to acquire the land required for the double tracking project between Majorda
and Vasco.
Railway officials involved in the execution of the double tracking project told The Goan that the Chief Administrative Office of the South Western Railway, Bangalore Cantonment has moved a proposal to the Central government to notify the Railways projects in the State of Goa, including the Hospet-Hubli-Tinaighat-Vasco project as a ‘special railway project’ for providing national infrastructure for a public purpose.
A senior Railways official informed that notification of a project as a special railway project is a pre-condition before the provisions of the Railways Act are invoked for acquisition of land. “Once this is published in the Gazette of India under Clause 37(A) of Railways Act, decks will be cleared for the invocation of the Railways Act to acquire the required land for the double tracking project,” the official said.
Sources said the South Western Railway has prepared a detailed draft MoU and the same is to be processed and approval by the State government before it is signed by both the parties. “The MoU is to be signed by the Ministry of Railways represented by the Chief Administrative Officer/ Construction, South Western Railway, Bangalore and any Revenue Officer duly authorised by the Government of Goa,” the official added.
A draft copy of the MoU along with the copy of the minutes of the meeting held on December 4, 2019 with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has been sent to the Revenue department to facilitate the officials to peruse the draft and suggests modifications, if any.‘Railways plans to run engine on
Sanvordem-Margao stretch by March’
MARGAO: Saying that work on the double tracking project, other than the Margao-Vasco stretch, is on the right track, General Manager (Projects), Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, Goa, Sashibhusan Sahoo said the Railways hopes to run an engine on the double track being laid on the Sanvordem-Margao by March.
Sahoo said though the Railways had sought additional land for laying of the double track along the Margao-Sanvordem stretch, the track is being laid inside the property of the Railways which was acquired long ago. “At Sao Jose de Areal village, we had plans to procure land admeasuring around 1300 square metres. But, since our efforts have not borne fruit, we will acquire the land in question under the Railways Act,” he said.
Referring to the Majorda-Vasco stretch of the double tracking project, where work could not commence for want of the required land, Sahoo said the Railways had plans to procure additional land admeasuring 27,463 sq mts, but there were no takers for the land procurement scheme. “Since the double tracking project from Hospet-Vasco is a project to provide national infrastructure for a public purpose, it has been decided to invoke the Railways Act to acquire the much needed land,” he said.
Asked to explain the difference between procurement of land and acquisition of the land under the Railways Act, Sahoo said while there may be vast difference in the amount of compensation payable to the land losers, it is for the State government to take a call on the compensation payable under the two schemes.
