Nagpur: Even before the precious 44.4 acres of railway land at Ajni was handed over to the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) by the Nagpur Central Railway and even as an MoU was not signed between RLDA and NHAI, the latter floated tenders for the Inter Modal Station (IMS) at Ajni.
According to papers with TOI, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) floated tender for IMS on February 27, 2019, but the MoU between Indian Railways, represented by RLDA, and NHAI was signed on March 6, 2019, in Nagpur. Even as the MoU was signed between the two parties, RLDA was not handed over the Ajni land.
This fact has come to light through information received under the RTI Act by one Wasudev Mishra, in which the Railway Board letter (September 26, 2019) states that RLDA needs to be entrusted with 44.4 acres of Ajni land for Phase-I. This means that the land was not handed over to the RLDA even after six months of signing the MoU.
Mishra says the Nagpur Central Railway did not supply the entire details of the land given to RLDA as sought in the application. “This shows that there is more to the deal which both the NHAI and railways are hiding,” he alleged.
Anjani Kumar, member (projects), RLDA, Delhi, told TOI that the Ajni land was handed over to the RLDA four months ago. This means the Ajni land was handed over to the RLDA somewhere in November, but tender for the IMS was floated on February 27, 2019, almost 20 months before the land was handed over to the RLDA.
On how the tender was floated by the NHAI when the railway land was not handed over to the RLDA, Kumar said, “It was done on the basis of an MoU between the railways and highways ministries wherein both the NHAI & RLDA moved in their directions to see the project get going.”
Kumar said evaluation and feasibility of the land and project details have been worked out but as he was out on an official tour to Kerala, it could be given only after Thursday.
However, green activist Jaydeep Das said, “The chronology of events occurring in the build-up to IMS creation does not augur well when it comes to motives behind the project. A national body floating tender even before entering into an MOU and that too with someone who does not have possession raises doubts. It seems that rules are only for the general public and government agencies can hit them for a six.”
“How can RLDA lease railway land unless entrusted by railways? RLDA had no power or authority to enter into an MoU on February 27, 2019, with NHAI and lease out 44 acres of land. Therefore, the MoU itself is illegal,” Das said.
GREENS FIND FLAWS
* NHAI, the user agency for IMS, Ajni, floats tender on February 27, 2019
* MoU between Indian Railways and highways ministries signed on March 6, 2019
* Till September 26, 2019, railway land at Ajni not handed over to RLDA
* RLDA admits Ajni land was handed over four months ago
* Railways fail to provide detailed evaluation of proposed project