the goan I network
MARGAO
Addressing a gathering, Naik said a part of the corpus of Rs 30 crores to be spent on improvising the Rajdhani and Shatabdi express trains under ‘Project Swarn’ of the Union Railway Ministry could also be utilised for improvising “ordinary” trains used by the common man.
Terming the two projects --- escalator (@ Rs 95 lakhs) and the presently refurbished platforms (@ Rs 97 lakhs) --- under the MPLAD scheme sanctioned by him as having been accomplished at a “fast speed”, he claimed that he could not sanction yet another escalator for KR Margao station due to lack of space at the station.
Naik also announced the inauguration of the roof project at Thivim station sanctioned under the MPLAD scheme by him on 16 August. He also lamented that fact that some projects for Vasco railway station under South Western Railway could not materialise as the latter did not pursue them with him.
Naik also claimed that many other projects under the MPLAD scheme could not be completed duo to finances and procedural delays. “The PWD takes one year for preparing estimates,” he remarked.
Naik said Bullet Trains can be viable provided there are dedicated corridoors and zero accident guarantee which will enable private parties to enter into an agreement with the Government of India (GoI). He however felt that in the absence of this, the same money could be utilised for modernisation of tracks and trains.
He also wanted an independent agency to undertake an assessment as to whether the merger of the Railway budget with the Union budget had benefitted the Indian Railways, common people and GoI.
