Himalayan News Service
KATHMANDU: Failure to get the alignment approved from the government has left the national priority project-Mechi-Mahakali Electric Railway in trouble. The Department of Railways, the project implementing agency has faced problems in preparing detailed project report (DPR) and acquiring land.
The department and Chitwan National Park (CPN) authority are in row regarding the alignment passing through the park for long time. Political leaders and locals have demanded to change the alignment in Butwal, Rupandehi and Bardaghat of Nawalpasari. These are some examples the mega railway project is facing in recent times.
Officials of the railway department said that they would not have face problems, if the alignment had been approved from ministry level or Cabinet decision. The ambitious railway project received setback for the government implementing the project listing as national pride without approving the alignment recommended by the feasibility study in 2010.
“We have been receiving political pressure to change alignment in Butwal and land issue in Chitwan is yet to be settled,” said Ananta Acharya, director general of the railway department. He said that since it had been necessary to hold all responsible to make railway dream come true, the alignment has to be approved from the Cabinet.
The feasibility study conducted by Indian--RITES had concluded that the project was feasible building the alignment that passes through major junctions starting from Kakarvitta in Mechi, Itahari, Bardibas, Simara, Tamsaria, Butwal, Kohalpur, Attariya and Gaddachowki in Mahakali. The railway project which is estimated to cost as high as Rs 800 billion has also envisaged of developing Kathmandu-Pokhara railway linking it with Mechi-Mahakali via Abukhaireni at Tamsaria.
On the basis of the feasibility study, the government had started the DPR study from fiscal year 2011-12 selecting most feasible sections. Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management said that they also have option of approving alignments section-wise . “We can get the alignment approved before going into construction after completing DPR study of each section,” he added.
Normally, when it comes to national pride road projects such as Mid-Hill Highway and Kathmandu Terai Fast Track road, the government have approved their alignments. Lack of discussion regarding the proposed alignment and no formal approval from the government part have put the project in difficulty which ultimately put the whole project work including the DPR studies and construction in low gear, according to Acharya.
As per the government plan, DPR studies of Simara-Tamsaria and Tamsaria-Butwal sections were supposed to complete within last one year. But, they are yet to be completed. The railway department officials said that despite CPN asking to look for alternative alignments, the government had not supported them to solve row with CPN. Around 7-km stretch of Simara-Tamsaria section passes through CPN area.
KATHMANDU: Failure to get the alignment approved from the government has left the national priority project-Mechi-Mahakali Electric Railway in trouble. The Department of Railways, the project implementing agency has faced problems in preparing detailed project report (DPR) and acquiring land.
The department and Chitwan National Park (CPN) authority are in row regarding the alignment passing through the park for long time. Political leaders and locals have demanded to change the alignment in Butwal, Rupandehi and Bardaghat of Nawalpasari. These are some examples the mega railway project is facing in recent times.
Officials of the railway department said that they would not have face problems, if the alignment had been approved from ministry level or Cabinet decision. The ambitious railway project received setback for the government implementing the project listing as national pride without approving the alignment recommended by the feasibility study in 2010.
“We have been receiving political pressure to change alignment in Butwal and land issue in Chitwan is yet to be settled,” said Ananta Acharya, director general of the railway department. He said that since it had been necessary to hold all responsible to make railway dream come true, the alignment has to be approved from the Cabinet.
The feasibility study conducted by Indian--RITES had concluded that the project was feasible building the alignment that passes through major junctions starting from Kakarvitta in Mechi, Itahari, Bardibas, Simara, Tamsaria, Butwal, Kohalpur, Attariya and Gaddachowki in Mahakali. The railway project which is estimated to cost as high as Rs 800 billion has also envisaged of developing Kathmandu-Pokhara railway linking it with Mechi-Mahakali via Abukhaireni at Tamsaria.
On the basis of the feasibility study, the government had started the DPR study from fiscal year 2011-12 selecting most feasible sections. Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management said that they also have option of approving alignments section-wise . “We can get the alignment approved before going into construction after completing DPR study of each section,” he added.
Normally, when it comes to national pride road projects such as Mid-Hill Highway and Kathmandu Terai Fast Track road, the government have approved their alignments. Lack of discussion regarding the proposed alignment and no formal approval from the government part have put the project in difficulty which ultimately put the whole project work including the DPR studies and construction in low gear, according to Acharya.
As per the government plan, DPR studies of Simara-Tamsaria and Tamsaria-Butwal sections were supposed to complete within last one year. But, they are yet to be completed. The railway department officials said that despite CPN asking to look for alternative alignments, the government had not supported them to solve row with CPN. Around 7-km stretch of Simara-Tamsaria section passes through CPN area.
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