An Integrated Emergency Response Management System involving a ‘Video Surveillance System’ would be established at five railway stations of Raigarh, Champa, Korba, Akaltara, and Pendra Road in Chhattisgarh, officials informed.
It may be recalled that the Union Ministry of Railways will also develop eight stations in Chhattisgarh as ‘Model Stations’. They are Bilaspur, Durg, Raipur, Raigarh, Champa, Bhatapara, Tilda and Rajnandgaon.
Overall in entire South East Central Railway (SECR) division — Bilaspur, Durg, Raipur, Raigarh, Gondia, Champa, Shahdol, Bhatapara, Tilda, Rajnandgaon and Chhindwara have been chosen to be developed as 'Model Stations'.
The ‘Model Station’ scheme was in vogue between June 1999 and November, 2008. A total of 594 stations were identified for development under Model Station Scheme.
Indian Railways have planned to offer ‘A-1’ and ‘A” category stations (about 400 in number) for redevelopment on ‘as is where is basis’ by inviting open bids from interested parties. Station redevelopment projects require close coordination with the State Government/local bodies in order to get necessary clearances such as mutation of land, change of land use, heritage clearance (if required), NOCs from local bodies etc.
Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu has written letters to Chief Ministers of all States while requesting them to nominate coordinating officer in their respective States to facilitate these clearances. A few State Governments have nominated coordinating officers in this regard.
The Union Ministry of Railways would also take up development of Multi Functional Complexes (MFCs) at six Railway Stations in Chhattisgarh.
They are — Raipur, Bilaspur, Bhilai, Durg, Korba and Raigarh, officials stated.
As a part of Railway’s commitment to upgrade/augment passenger amenities at Railway Stations on continuous basis, development of Multi Functional Complexes (MFCs) at Railway Stations was first announced in Railway Budget 2009-10 to provide rail user facilities like Shopping, Food Stalls & Restaurants, Book Stalls, PCOs/STD/ ISD/FAX Booths, Medicine & Variety Stores, Budget Hotels (subject to viability), parking, etc.
Initially, development of MFCs was assigned to Railway Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) who develop MFCs with their own equity and to Rail land Development Authority (RlDA) who develop MFCs through private sector participation. Total expenditure incurred by PSUs on construction of MFCs since beginning is approximately `109 crore No expenditure is incurred by RlDA for developing MFCs.
Subsequently, some of the MFCs were assigned to Zonal Railways. Works for developing MFCs by Zonal Railways are sanctioned under Plan Head – ‘Passenger Amenities’.
Notably, as many as five ongoing projects under South East Central Railway (SECR) had been put in the priority list by Union Railway Ministry for fast tracking implementation of the projects.
Prioritization of projects is a continuous exercise carried out on the basis of traffic and safety considerations and availability of funds, officials stated.
In addition to ongoing projects, 77 doubling / tripling / quadrupling projects having an aggregate length of 9,040 Km and total estimated cost of `90,304 crore were included in the Railway Budget for 2015-16 to decongest existing saturated section and create additional carrying capacity.
Zone wise break up of fast track implementation of projects is as under:- Central Railway 6, East Coast Railway 8, East Central Railway 11, Eastern Railway 1, North Central Railway 4, North East Railway 4, Northeast Frontier Railway 2, Northern Railway 4, North Western Railway 2, South Central Railway 8, South East Central Railway 5, South Eastern Railway 5, Southern Railway 4, South Western Railway 3, West Central Railway 6 and Western Railway 4.