Karnataka - Bijapur

Rails for gauge conversion transported to work sites

By Our Staff Correspondent

BIJAPUR, APRIL 8. After a lull of a few months, South Western Railway has started moving rails to work sites along the route between Alamatti and Bagalkot for gauge conversion.

At present, around 4,000 tonnes of rails are available at Nimbal Railway Station, 40 km from here. According to sources in South Western Railways, the order to supply these rails was placed when the Bijapur MP, Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal, was the Minister of State for Railway in the previous Government. However, with the change in Government at the Centre, the project was taken off the priority projects list and the supply of rails and sleepers was suspended.

Threat

Sources said that the rails were also under threat of being shifted to other projects within South Western Railways Zone. But the move was dropped after taking into account the cost of transportation. Though the rails have been there for several months, the Railway authorities directed the Bijapur construction division not to use them. However, last week they gave the green signal to shift the rails to work sites on the Telgi and Bagalkot sections.

Unloaded

Sources said that around 1,000 tonnes of rails will be unloaded at Alamatti and the remaining stock at other gauge conversion sites between Alamatti and Bagalkot. At present, only two trucks, each carrying 27 tonnes of rails, have been pressed into service.

The 4,000 tonnes of rails available now are enough to complete 38.5 km of tracks. An additional 1,408 tonnes of rails are required to lay the broad-gauge line till Bagalkot. Similarly, 20,000 sleepers are available and an additional 61,000 sleepers are required to complete work till Bagalkot. With a budgetary allocation of Rs. 15 crores, transportation and other ancillary works can be finished. The inputs, especially sleepers, are supplied only against payment.

Release of funds

The State Government, which has a cost sharing agreement with the Railways for the project, has to release Rs. 57 crores, including the current year's grant of Rs. 15 crores. Of this, if the State makes available at least Rs. 35 crores, the broad-gauge line can be completed till Bagalkot by the end of the financial year, the sources said.

Of the 300-km Sholapur (Hotgi)-Gadag line, gauge conversion is over between Sholapur and Bijapur and the 45-km Bijapur-Telgi section is almost complete. Sleepers and rails are laid on the route but they have not been fitted for want of rail clips. However, sources said that over 1.2 lakh rail-clips should be made available to the project shortly.

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