ETW Staff- Mumbai
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the construction three new rail lines. A new broad gauge line between Ajmer and Sawai Madhopur via Tonk in Rajasthan, construction of a new rail line between Gadag and Wadi in Karnataka and a new broad gauge line between Pirpainti-Jasidih (Mohanpur) in Jharkhand.
The total length of the Ajmer and Sawai Madhopur line will be 165 kms and total anticipated cost for the project is INR 873.71 crore. The line will be completed in eight years during the 13th Plan period.
The new line will cater to the travelling needs of the people of the area and carrying of goods on Ajmer-Sawai Madhopur via Tonk. It will also provide infrastructure support to the backward districts of Ajmer, Tonk and Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan as also an alternate route between Chittaurgarh and Sawai Madhopur on the Delhi – Ahmedabad route.
The total length of the Gadag and Wadi line will be 252.5 kms and total anticipated cost of INR 1922.14 crore. the line will be completed in six years during the 13th Plan period.
The new rail line would provide a direct shorter route for the people of the area and further to Hyderabad/Secunderabad in Andhra Pradesh. Besides the travelling needs of the people, various cement, steel and power plants in the area would get the necessary rail link for transportation of their raw material and finished products. Gadag, Koppal, Raichur and Gulbarga areas of Karnataka would also be covered by this new rail line.
The total anticipated cost of the Pirpainti-Jasidih (Mohanpur) line is INR 915.96 crore. The line will be completed in five years during the 13th Plan period.
The rail link between Pirpainti and Jasidih is necessary for providing direct connectivity to business centres lying in the backward regions of Jharkhand and Bihar such as Pirpainti, Hansdiha, Godda and Jasidih. The rail link will also serve the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas of Jharkhand.
For each of the project 50 per cent of the cost would be beared by budgetary support and rest 50 per cent through the Government of Rajasthan, Government of Karnataka and Government of Jharkhand, respectively. Land will also be provided free of cost by the respective Government’s.
