Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 22 2009:
For carrying out final location survey (FLS) of the proposed project on laying broad gauge railway line from Jiribam to Imphal via Tupul, no contractor have responded even after invitation of tender twice by the North Frontier Railways.
Accordingly to a reliable source, the matter related none of the contractor or the firm responding to the tender called twice for FLS has been mentioned in the status report of the project submitted to the Government by the Deputy Director of Transport (Planning) who is also the nodal officer of the project.
After the failure of evoking any response in the first two tenders, the North Frontier Railways invited the tender for the third time, the source said, adding that if everything work out well this time, the FLS is likely to begin from June this year.
As for establishing a Rail Fed Oil depot near Malom where the Imphal Station Yard is proposed to be set up when the railway line is extended upto Imphal, a joint meeting of the IOC and Transport officials held last month had discussed the matter.
Since the proposed site for establishing the Rail Red Oil depot measuring 35.615 acres in addition to 8 acres of Government Khasland is situated beyond 500 metres away from the proposed railway line, the joint meeting resolved that it would be logically and technically not advisable to complete the land acquisition process/formalities prior to completion of the FLS.
Nonetheless, FLS has already been conducted in between the point of 15 km to 16.40 kms and 35 km to 42 kms of the proposed rail route while the resurvey of the proposed route between the point of 81.30 km to 92 km has been done by the Railway officials.
The Railway Board has not yet sanctioned the portion of the rail line from Tupul to Imphal and has instructed the North Frontier Railway to submit a detail estimates based on the report of the FLS.
The report of the Deputy Director of Transport (Planning) also mentioned that the Revenue Department has submitted an estimates after a joint field survey of the land to be affected by the proposed railway line, work on construction of the railway line for over more than 9 kms from Jiribam is in full swing and construction of railway station at Noney is underway.
The report of the nodal officer further said that tender for earth work and construction of small bridges in between the point of 9.9 km to 15.88 km and 63 km to 81.3 kms has been finalised and necessary works would commence soon though no response have been with regard to the tender invitation on construction of four large bridges.
The tender invitation process in connection with drilling 12 tunnels along the proposed rail route has been over and the same would be opened on May 25, the report said.
It is said that for security assessment of the railway line, DG has deputed an officer and proposals have been placed before the North Frontier Railway for providing vehicles for the conveniences of the security personnel being deployed at Noney and Kaimai.