As per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary ‘Setu Bharatam Yojana’, the State Public Works Department (PWD) has initiated efforts for construction of over-bridges and under-bridge at railway crossing across the State for ensuring smooth and accident-free vehicular movement, officials stated.
In the State Budget 2016-17, Chief Minister Raman Singh has included the proposal of as many as five railway over-bridges in ‘Setu Bharatam Yojana’ for reconstruction of railway level-crossings, old and narrow-bridges falling on national highways, informed officials, adding that of five bridges, two over-bridges will be constructed between Manendragarh and Ambikapur, two between Mahasamund and Kharir Road (Odisha) and one railway over-bridge at village Keshloor in Bastar district.
For construction of four railway under-bridges and four railway over-bridges, the Chief Minister has made a financial provision of Rs13.16 crore from the Department’s general expenditure head in this budget, said PWD Minister Rajesh Munat.
According to Munat, construction of these eight railway bridges will be costing Rs54.71 crore, of which Rs36.55 crore would be the estimated expenditure for construction of four over-bridges while Rs18.16 crore will be required in construction of four under-bridges.
Similarly, the Chief Minister has announced to carry out a survey for construction of over and under-bridges at 41 railway level-crossings on Raigarh-Dongargarh route. The survey work is going to cost Rs1.05 crore.
Notably, the project aims to make all national highways free from railway level crossing by 2019 to ensure road safety. Under the project, 208 bridges will be built at a cost of Rs20800 crore. Also, 1500 old bridges will be reconstructed, which will costRs30000 crore.
As many as 29 Road Over Bridges (RoBs) have been sanctioned by the Central government during the current financial year under South East Central Railway (SECR) division.
At present, there are 1,156 sanctioned works for construction of 1,399 ROBs across the country, officials stated.
Fund for construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs)/Road Under Bridges (RUBs)/Subways; elimination of level crossings and other safety works related to level crossings come from Central Road Fund (CRF) as a percentage of cess collected on petrol and diesel by Ministry of Finance. Present throwforward of these works is Rs31,700 crores approximately.
A provision of Rs4180.87 crore has been made for South East Central Railway (SECR) in the Union Railway budget to provide a further boost to its development activities.
Notably, addressing media persons recently in Bilaspur, SECR General Manager Satyendra Kumar informed that a series of provisions are being made for the zone in this budget which includes Rs 560.04 crore for new railway line, gauge conversion (Rs558.91 crore), doubling (Rs2012.46 crore), traffic facilities works (Rs75.65 crore), computerization (Rs3.66 crore), rolling stock (Rs5.81 crore), leased assets (Rs299.48 crore), road safety works-level Crossings (Rs13.75), road safety works-ROB/RUBs (Rs124.25 crore), track renewals (Rs218.24 crore) and bridge works (Rs14.84 crore).
Besides, Rs 64.90 crore has been allocated for signalling and telecom works, Rs 72.81 crore for other electrical works, Rs11.27 crore for traction distribution works, Rs10.72 crore for machivv, Rs 20.56 crore for staff quarters, Rs11.13 crore for staff amenities, Rs 33.48 crore for passengers amenities and Rs 10.68 crore for other specified works.
New lines sanctioned for SECR in the budget include 270 km-long Dongargarh-Khairagarh-Kawardha-Bilaspur line to the tune of around Rs 2500 crore and Dharamjaigarh- Korba (63 km) of Rs 1154 crore, informed railway officials.