MoS for Railways, Raosaheb Patil Danve at one of the work sites of the Dhansiri-Zubza BG rail line in Dimapur on November 23. (Photo Courtesy: NFR official)
Skips scheduled press meet to head to Guwahati
Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 23
Minister of State (MoS) for Railways, Raosaheb Patil Danve, who was in Nagaland on November 23, gave the slip skipping a scheduled press meet in the evening. He was in Dimapur to inspect the Dhansiri-Zubza broad gauge rail project.
As per a railway official, Danve had to cut short his site visits, the reason for which was not disclosed. Nevertheless, the official informed that the MoS inspected the newly built Shoxuvi Rail Station and ongoing works at two tunnels in Chümoukedima.
According to him, the MoS was pleased with the quality of the work but had to skip inspection of a major bridge and rush back to the Dimapur Railway Station to head to Guwahati.
On the current status of the project, it was informed that Phase-1 (Dhanisiri-Shoxuvi) has been commissioned, while they are targeting July 2023 to complete Phase-2 (Shoxuvi-Pherima). 2026 has been set as the tentative cut-off date to complete Phase-3 (Pherima-Zubza). As per the Dhansiri-Zubza route map displayed today, the new rail line would run some 81km.
The project was commissioned in 2016. As originally announced by the Northeast Frontier Railway, the targeted completion date of the first phase was December 2018, the second was December 2019 and the third, March 2020. The line will culminate 16 km short of Kohima.
Queried on the reasons for the extension of the completion timeframe, the official said that aside from the weather and terrain, man-made challenges have got in the way. According to him, the challenges related to occasional “demands” and builders not meeting requirements. The contracts of at least two firms were said to have been terminated, which called for new biddings, implying delay.
.jpg)
