BENGALURU: Setting the stage for the long-delayed suburban rail project, K-RIDE (Rail lnfrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited) has floated a tender for the land survey.
The tender has been called for the survey, identification and investigation of underground, overground and overhead utilities and structures using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system. The work involves manual trenching and preparation of conceptual diversion plans and estimates for shifting the utilities.
According to K-RIDE, the tender floated for the survey, identification and investigation of utilities for Bengaluru suburban railway project in and around Bengaluru city at a cost of Rs 1.10 crore. Another tender was called for the land survey for Bengaluru suburban railway project in and around Bengaluru city at a cost of Rs 62.79 lakh. The last date of submission of the tender is March 24.
The development comes at a time when the Centre has made a paltry budgetary allocation of Rs 1 crore for the Rs 18,600 crore project this year. The project has been in the pipeline for 37 years.
The allocations in the Pink Book earlier were Rs 1 crore in 2018-19 and Rs 10 crore in 2019-20. In November 2019, the Railway Board cleared the project, but the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is yet to approve it. “The project is yet to get CCEA approval. The land survey is a project preparedness activity” said a source.
Karnataka Railway Vedike founder-member KN Krishnaprasad said: “There is no clarity over the project. While finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said the project doesn’t require CCEA approval, the railway ministry says they need CCEA approval to start the work. Our wait for the project is only getting longer.”
The tender has been called for the survey, identification and investigation of underground, overground and overhead utilities and structures using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system. The work involves manual trenching and preparation of conceptual diversion plans and estimates for shifting the utilities.
According to K-RIDE, the tender floated for the survey, identification and investigation of utilities for Bengaluru suburban railway project in and around Bengaluru city at a cost of Rs 1.10 crore. Another tender was called for the land survey for Bengaluru suburban railway project in and around Bengaluru city at a cost of Rs 62.79 lakh. The last date of submission of the tender is March 24.
The development comes at a time when the Centre has made a paltry budgetary allocation of Rs 1 crore for the Rs 18,600 crore project this year. The project has been in the pipeline for 37 years.
The allocations in the Pink Book earlier were Rs 1 crore in 2018-19 and Rs 10 crore in 2019-20. In November 2019, the Railway Board cleared the project, but the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is yet to approve it. “The project is yet to get CCEA approval. The land survey is a project preparedness activity” said a source.
Karnataka Railway Vedike founder-member KN Krishnaprasad said: “There is no clarity over the project. While finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said the project doesn’t require CCEA approval, the railway ministry says they need CCEA approval to start the work. Our wait for the project is only getting longer.”
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