Railways under-utilising funds allotted by state

BANGALORE: The railways seem to be unenthusiastic in completing the projects in the state as the funds released by the state government for the projects that are undertaken on cost sharing basis has been under-utilised for the second consecutive year. Though two quarters of the current fiscal year have nearly elapsed, the railways have utilised Rs. 116 crore only from Rs. 492 crore that was allocated by the state government for the projects in the state. As a result, more than a dozen long pending railway projects are getting delayed.  Infrastructure Development Department Secretary Dr Raj Kumar Khatri said, we have released Rs. 135 crore out of the Rs. 492 crore that is allocated in the budget this year and the special committee that was formed under the chairmanship of the chief secretary is frequently meeting to sort out the hurdles in implementing the railway projects in the state. We hope that the railways will utilise the funds allocated for the project at least this year.According to sources in the railways, the railways has utilised Rs. 116 crore till now and is yet to receive the remaining Rs. 19 crore released by the state government. It may be recalled that the railways had utilised Rs. 218 crore from Rs. 600 crore that was    allocated by the state for the projects that were undertaken on cost sharing basis in the last fiscal year. The railways in unable to utilise the funds allocated by the state government as the railway board is unable to release the corresponding funds for the projects undertaken with state government’s funding because of the funds crunch in the railways, which is a result of not hiking the railway fare adequately since 2002.South Western Railways (SWR) General Manager Kuldeep Chaturvedi acknowledged the funds crunch and said, “There are some other issues like land acquisition that are delaying the implementation of the railway projects in the state. With the formation of the special committee these hurdles are being sorted out very fast and we are working on completing the projects soon.According to available information, the railways is in different stages of undertaking Shimoga - Harihara, Whitefield - Kolar, Davangere, Gadag - Haveri and Kudichi - Bagalkot railway lines with 50 per cent aid from the state government.