Udhampur-Baramulla rail project fails to meet target

  • 24/12/2012

  • Tribune (New Delhi)

The Centre had announced 17 years ago that people of Kashmir would be provided a cheap and easy mode of transport to Jammu, but the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link is still nowhere near completion. Originally sanctioned from the Consolidated Fund of India and estimated to cost Rs 3,077 crore, the link was scheduled for completion in August 2007. But poor planning and lack of field surveys by the Railways caused delay in the project. Its current projected outlay is estimated at Rs 19,565 crore — a cost overrun of six times the original. The story of the failed project which the then Prime Minister had called a project of national importance was recently brought out by the Comptroller and Auditor General. “This was the most challenging project the Indian Railways has undertaken in terms of constructing a new line in a rugged and hostile terrain with unfavourable security situations. The decision on selection of a gradient should have been therefore made after proper field investigations to establish the workability. But poor planning resulted in the approved project cost shooting from Rs 3,077 crore to Rs 19,565 crore, a cost overrun of Rs 16,488 crore,” the CAG has found in its special performance appraisal of the link. The costs would have to be borne by India’s tax payer directly as the project is funded by the Consolidated Fund. The project was to connect Baramulla in Kashmir to Udhampur in Jammu via Qazigund. But the project suffered from weak implementation and the section from Udhampur to Katra, scheduled for completion by August 2003, is yet to be completed — a time overrun of 112 months as of July this year. The progress at the section from Katra to Banihal scheduled for completion by August 2007 was only 12 to 14 per cent by this year. The Qazigund-Baramulla section scheduled to be completed in March 2003 is the only part of the rail link that was opened in phases for people from October 2008 — after a time overrun of 79 months. “The rail link as of 2012 was thus only within Kashmir and not to Kashmir as was the project objective,” the auditor has said attributing the loss of taxpayer’s money and time to the lack of field investigations. “The Railways should have carried out a detailed survey of the area to decide the alignment and gradient that was to connect the neighbouring habitations. The alignment passed through various thrust areas and fault lines in the Himalayas making the line vulnerable to seismic disasters. However the Railways failed to conduct geo technical investigations and relied entirely on aerial maps and satellite imagery. The Railways’ argument that it wanted to show some work on ground does not help. The fact is that the final location survey was not even drawn up before the commencement of work,” say the CAG findings. The auditor has now asked a dedicated wing in the Railways to ensure timely completion of the project. Behind schedule The rail link was scheduled for completion in August 2007 at an estimated cost of Rs 3,077 crore The link is still nowhere near completion. Poor planning by the Railways caused delay in the project The current projected outlay is estimated at Rs 19,565 crore — a cost overrun of six times the original