The second track which was laid at Nessai in Sao Jose de Areal past midnight. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Even as voices against the controversial double tracking project grow louder by the day, with activists repeatedly hitting the roads to oppose the project, the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd has drawn up an ambitious plan to have a trial run by March 2021 on the double tracks being laid in Chandor-Margao stretch.
That explains why the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd is rushing with laying of the double tracks along the 16.6 km stretch at the three major crossings -- Chandor, Nessai in Sao Jose de Areal and Davorlim.
In fact, senior Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd officials informed that though work on the Chandor-Margao double tracking line has been slightly running behind schedule, the railways are now rushing with the work to meet the March 2021 deadline in the next five months.
A senior railway official told The Goan that around 75 per cent work on the Chandor-Margao stretch of the double tracking project is almost complete, while exuding confidence of completing the balance 25 per cent work by March 2021.
“We have set March 2021 as the date for a trial run on the second track being laid along the Chandor-Margao stretch of the double tracking project. Given that the railways has completed major portion of the work, we are confident of sticking to the March 2021 deadline to have a trial run on the newly laid track,” informed a senior railway official.
Railway officials in the know further informed that though RVNL has taken up the work on the Cullem-Margao section of the double tracking project, work on the Chandor-Margao section has been progressing well in line with schedule, barring minor delays.
An official, however, pointed out that work on the Cullem-Margao stretch has hit a rough patch because of the permissions required in the section passing through the forest land. He said only 50 per cent the work stands completed on the Cullem to Chandor stretch.
Despite protests, the railways have laid the double track along the Chandor-Margao section in its own property without acquiring additional land for the purpose. However, the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd is bracing up to acquire additional land under the Railways Act for development of station and other works.
Railway officials said the RVNL had initially given offers to the land owners in the villages of Guirdolim, Chandor, and Sao Jose de Areal for requisitioning of their land for the double tracking project. While some of the land owners had evinced initial interest in the proposal, some of them later decided otherwise, prompting the railways to invoke the Railways Act to acquire the required land,” a senior official informed.
