The restoration of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) post for Kerala by Railways is expected to speed up the much-delayed track-doubling works through Kottayam and Alappuzha.
Much has to be done to complete the doubling process through both districts. March this year was fixed as the revised deadline for completing doubling through Kottayam.
Railway officials are sceptical about adhering to the deadline and state that it might take another two years unless the Railways and the State government undertook a joint proactive effort.
The numerous hassles the process is facing include inordinate delay in land acquisition, litigation over compensation and sourcing/transporting of mud to work sites. This has in turn more than doubled the project cost from Rs 530 crore estimated in 2005.
Faced with problems in sourcing mud from private lands, Railway is excavating it from land under its custody. This alone may not be enough to complete track doubling.
Land acquisition
“With the State Government not readying land acquisition rules, we have no other option but to opt for direct purchase of many plots of lands through negotiations. This requires prompt disbursal of funds and the CAO can do much to coordinate with Railway higher ups in sourcing funds.
In the absence of CAO, everything has to be routed through Southern Railway’s head office in Chennai,” an official associated with doubling works said.
“We are making every effort to complete maximum works during the November-May working season when there is no rain.
“Priority has been accorded to complete track doubling in the 12-km-long Piravom Road-Kurupunthara stretch by March end.
“Twin tracks have been laid afresh at Vaikom Road, Kurupunthara and Thiruvalla railway stations. The older pair of tracks are being relaid to lessen their gradient,” he said.
Compensation
Most of the doubling works is complete, except for a km-long portion near Kurupunthara where three plots have not been acquired over the quantum of compensation. The Commissioner for Railway Safety (CRS) would inspect the 12-km corridor by March end and issue safety certificate only if the whole corridor is doubled.
“Only ten per cent of land required in 24-km-long Kurupunthara-Chingavanom stretch has been acquired, though Railway had allotted Rs 105 crore.
“Efforts are under way for direct purchase of land so that the stretch can be doubled by end 2017,” he said.
Inordinate delay in land acquisition is a problem in the 26-km-long Chingavanom-Thiruvalla-Chengannur stretch too.
The problem is acute in between Chingavanom and Changanassery where there are eight overbridges. Delay by KWA in shifting pipelines from the old bridge to the new one despite Railway depositing the expenses has held up work on a bridge near Changanassery.
Efforts are on to complete track doubling in Changanassery-Chengannur corridor by March, the officials said.
Alappuzha sector
Track doubling in Alappuzha district has been confined to the 18-km-long Haripad-Ambalappuzha corridor.
“Only 25 per cent works are over here, mainly due to delay in acquiring land and court cases.
“Next in line is doubling of Ambalappuzha–Alappuzha–Cherthala–Thuravur line. An estimate has been sent to Railway Board and we are awaiting its sanction. With the State inking an MoU with Railways on pooling funds for Railway development, the doubling process may pick up steam,” he said
Sourcing mud is another problem in Alappuzha and tipper lorries have to fetch it from Kottayam and Kollam districts.
