CHIEF MINISTER’S OFFICE

GOVERNMENT OF TELANGANA

PRESS RELEASE DATE: 19-01-2015

Honourable Chief Minister Shri. K. Chandrasekhar Rao has brought to the notice of Union Minister for Railways Shri. Suresh Prabhu various pending railway projects and several other issues pending with the railways. The Union Minister for Railways Shri. Suresh Prabhu along with South Central Railway General Manager Shri. P.K. Srivastava called on the Honourable Chief Minister at secretariat this afternoon. The Honourable Chief Minister also told the Union Minister that there is a need for drastic change in the approach of the railway department and in the process suggested several measures to be initiated and taken up by the Railway Ministry. The Chief Minister said that inview of the increasing population of Hyderabad and Secunderabad the Moulali and Nagulapally Railway Stations need to be upgraded and developed in to fulfledged terminal stations in order to ease pressure on Secunderabad Railway station. The Chief Minister has also requested the Union Minister that the name of the present AP Express to be changed as Telangana Express.

The Union Minister has positively responded and assured the Chief Minister that he would have a meeting on the issues and pending projects in general and on Hyderabad city in particular.

Advisor to the Government Shri. K. V. Ramanachary, State Government Representative in Delhi Shri. Venugopala Chary, Planning Board Vice Chairman Shri. Niranjan Reddy, Principal Secretary to CM Shri. S. Narsing Rao, Municipal Administration Principal Secretary Shri. M.G. Gopal, GHMC Special Officer Shri. Somesh Kumar, Transport Principal Secretary Shri. Sunil Sharma and Hyderabad Metro Rail Shri. NVS Reddy are present when the Union Minister called on the Chief Minister.

PENDING RALWAY PROJECTS/RAILWAY ISSUES

A) railway Coach Factory

As per item No.10 of Schedule XIII, of the AP Reorganisaton Act, the Central Government has to take steps for setting up Rail Coach Factory and improve the rail connectivity in the State of Telangana. It is requested that this work may be commenced at the earliest. The State Government will facilitate the availability of required land for this purpose.

B) Wagon Factory at Kazipet

A wagon manufacturing unit was sanctioned at Kazipet in Warangal district during 2012-2013 at an estimated cost of Rs.152.26 crore, but the work has not yet started.

C) Railway Division at Kazipet

Consequent to the formation of Telangana State, there is an urgent need for a new railway division at Kazipet to meet the requirements of public as well as employees. This may kindly be considered on priority and early orders issued.

D) Pending New Railway Lines

  1. Peddapalli-Karimnagar-Jagityal-Nizamabad (new BG) – 178.39 kms.

The Chief Administrative Officer, Con., SC Railway, Secunderabad, Secunderabad, has informed that construction of new BG Line between Peddapalli-Nizamabad was sanctioned by Railway board in the year 1993-94. The new line passes through the area containing rich mineral deposits with very good potential of freight traffic. The section between Peddapalli-Jagityal (81 Km) was completed and commissioned on 30-03-07. In order to accrue full benefit of the line, it is necessary that the last phase of the project from Jagityal to Nizamabad is completed at the earliest. An amount of Rs. 26.68 Crores have been deposited with SDC/Karimnagar and Rs. 27.61 Crores have also been deposited with Collector, Nizamabad towards the cost of the land acquisition.

  1. Manoharabad-Kottapalli (new BG line) – 153.6 kms.

The construction of new BG Railway line from Manoharabad to Kothapalli by cost sharing between Railways and Govt of Telangana Pradesh is a long pending issue.

On 25.08.2014, SCR has furnished proposal for construction of New BG Line between Manoharabad – Kothapalli and payment of annuity for the first five years after commissioning of the project.

The Updated Modified Detailed Estimate cost of the project is Rs. 952.95 crores. After excluding the cost of land which is to be given free by the State Government and 1/3rd of the balance cost which is to be borne by the State Government, Railway’s share will be Rs.579.72 crores on updated modified cost. The estimated annuity of State Govt’s share of Rs.367.05 crores.

Vide letter dated 16.09.2014, the Govt., of Telangana has given consent for sharing 1/3rd cost of construction of the project in addition to providing the land free of cost as already agreed and also given formal consent for the above annuity.

The land acquisition proposals are awaited from the SCR. Soon after receipt of the land acquisition proposals from the SCR, concerned District Collectors will be instructed to complete the land acquisition process on priority.

3. Akkannapet-Medak (new BG line) – 17.16 kms.

The project of Construction of New Railway Line between Akkanapet – Medak (17.20 Kms) was sanctioned by Railway Board with an estimate of Rs. 117.74 Crores in the year 2012-2013. State Government vide letter No.2050/Ser.IV/2/2008, Dt. 12.3.2012 had agreed for providing land free of cost in addition to bearing 50% of the construction cost of the above line. Out of this, State Government’s share will be Rs. 58.87 Crores.

State Govt., of Telangana in GORt.No. 171, TR&B (Tr.S&V) Dept., dt. 30-12-2014 have released an amount of Rs. 25.26 Crores towards payment of land compensation for the lands proposed to be acquired and Rs. 10.00 Crores towards State Government share for the project for formation of New BG Railway line between Akkanapet to Medak

4.Bhadrachalam Road-Sattupalli (new BG line) – 56.25 kms.

The proposal relates to construction of New BG Railway line from Bhadrachalam Road – Kovvur alignment (sanctioned in Railway budget 2013-14) by merging with Bhadrachalam Road and Sattupalli alignment (sanctioned in Railway budget 2010-11), upto proposed Chandragonda Station on Bhadrachalam – Sattupalli line (As both of these alignments are falling in the same vicinity) within first 21 Kms.

  1. Mancherial-Peddampet (Patch tripling)
  2. Kazipet-Vijayawada (3rd line with electrification) – 219.64 kms.
  3. Raghavapuram-Mandamarri (patch tripling) – 24.30 kms.
  4. Manuguru-Ramagundam – 200 kms.

The survey for the new line from Manuguru to Ramagundam (190 KM) has been sanctioned by Railway Board in 2005-06. Based on the request of the then Govt., of A.P., the Chief Engineer/Con-IV, SC Railway, Sec’bad, in his letter, dt. 16-9-2013 has stated that the project route covering the villages i.e., Manugur- Ramanujavaram- Gopalaraopeta-Katapur- Tadvai -Govindaraopet-Venkatapur-Bhupalapalli-Manthini - Ramagundam and the work is sanctioned vide Item.No.21 of Pink Book 2013-14 namely Manuguru – Ramagundam New BG Line (199.628 Kms.) is covered in Adilabad and Karimnagar districts and Final Location Survey work is in progress.

E) Pending at Survey stage

1.Doubling of Track – Secunderabad to Mahabubnagar (113 kms.)

2.Doubling of Track – Secunderabad to Zaheerabad (63.5 kms.)

  1. Pagidipalli – Shankarpalli

F) Hyderabad metro rail projects:

1. Unreasonable “Traffic Block Charges” being demanded by S.C. Railway:

The elevated Hyderabad Metro lines have to cross the tracks of S.C.Railway at 8 locations in Hyderabad. Correspondence and discussions have been going on for the last 3 years between the State Government and the Railway authorities and SC Railway is demanding payment of ‘Traffic Block Charges’ which are computed around Rs.10 Cr per Railway crossing. Incidentally, this is more than the cost of ROB itself at each location. Railway Board has not prescribed any Traffic block charges to be collected from Metro Rail Administrations other than “Charges for crossing railway line” (land lease / licensing charges equivalent to 99% of market value of land – Board’s policy letter dated 29.09.2009, Annex:I), “Supervision charges” and “Centage charges”. Railway Board vide its policy letter dated 14.08.2013 (Annex: II) categorically stated that Metro Rail Administrations shall only be levied these charges i.e., “land lease/licensing charges”, “Supervision charges” and “Centage charges”. GOTS had already paid Rs.25 Cr towards these charges to S.C.Railway more than one and a half years ago. No other charges like Traffic / Power block charges are indicated by Railway Board in any of it’s policy letters to be levied on any Metro Rail Administration. It has been ascertained from other Metro Rail projects that no Traffic block charges were levied by Southern Railway for Chennai Metro crossings and by South-western Railway for Bangalore Metro crossings; and only nominal charges were levied for Mumbai Metro by Western Railway. Further, in an earlier policy letter dated 30.11.2011 (Annex:III), Railway Board categorically indicated that “Indirect cost/Detention cost on account of Traffic and / Power Block, Speed Restrictions shall not be levied to Govt. Organizations, like State Govt., NHAI, Municipality, MPLADS, NREGA, for construction of ROB/RUB/Subway across Railway track, for public use”.

Hyderabad Metro Rail project is a public purpose project undertaken by the State Government to address the traffic congestion and increasing pollution levels in Hyderabad city and it is the owner of this Project. Despite bringing the said policy letters of Railway Board and factual information to the notice of S.C.Railway administration, they are insisting on payment of Traffic block charges. The work on Bharatnagar Metro Rail crossing has been held up for many months due to prolonged correspondence/discussions and this is on the critical path of the Project. We have mobilised all resources to take up the work and the delay in executing the work of ROBs has badly affected the Metro Rail project. The Concessionaire M/s L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd is raising huge claims for not getting the Right of Way (RoW) and for idling of men and machinery.

1. Sparing of small parcels of Railway land for road widening near Secunderabad Railway station:

The Metro Rail project requires alienation of some 10 small land parcels of the Railways, together admeasuring less than 2 acres. They are essentially required for road widening for smooth movement of road traffic during project execution near Secunderabad Railway station. Though thousands of acres of Railway land (including these affected land parcels) was originally given free of cost by the then Nizam State to the Railways and the land license fee as prescribed by the Railway Board for alienation of these lands amounting to Rs.35 Cr was paid by the State Government to SC Railway about one-and-a-half years ago, these tiny land parcels of less than 2 acres are not yet handed over for the Metro Rail project. While GoTS has acquired several private properties in the same vicinity of these lands by paying compensation as per Sub-Registrar’s commercial property valuation/recorded transactions @ Rs.50,000/- per sq. yard, SC Railway is insisting on payment of Rs.1,50,000/- per sq. yard on the basis of “valuation by local enquiry”, which has no legal sanctity in a Government to Government transaction. Though Railway Board has clarified during the meeting held on 22.08.2013 (by ME) that rate shall be as per market rate of the adjacent land in terms of EGOM decision and that the same policy shall be adopted for all Metros, SC Railway is not sparing the said land and Metro Rail works are held up near Secunderabad Railway station area. This issue is not getting sorted out despite repeated requests/advice to the Railways during high level Coordination Meetings in the Cabinet Secretariat / PMG Review Meetings.

The private sector Concessionaire for the Metro Rail project is getting desperate and is raising huge claims for not getting the right of way in Railway areas. A flagship infrastructure ppp project is getting badly affected in the process. The transaction is between the two Government organisations and GoTS paid Rs.60 crore to SC Railway for all the leviable charges for construction of the 8 ROBs and for the small parcels of the affected railway land. The issues, however, are not getting sorted out. Railway Minister’s intervention is, therefore, sought for giving necessary instructions to the officers concerned to immediately permit the Metro Rail ROB construction work without insisting on further payments; and to handover the affected small portions of the railway land, so that the Project can progress in the Railway areas.

H) GHMC:

1. Payment of service charges to the GHMC by South Central Railway:

Total annual payment from Indian Railways is Rs.6.74 Crores and the total dues payable are Rs.33.70 Crores to the GHMC.

NEW PROPOSALS

  1. Sanction of new Railway line between Gadwal and Macherla broadguage line
  2. Setting up of Railway University at Warangal
  3. Sanction of new line between Pandurangapuram and Bhadrachalam
  4. It is requested to include the construction of ROB/RUB’s at 15 Level Crossings in the Railway works program of 2015-16

Sl.
No. / LC No. / District / Block Section
1. / 14 / Karimnagar / Uppal – Jammikunta
2. / 24 / Karimnagar / Jammikunta-Bisugirsharf
3. / 39 / Karimnagar / Kolanur – Peddapalli
4. / 60 / Mahabubnagar / MBNR-MQN
5. / 32 / Medak / Zaheerabad-Metalkunta
6. / 38 / Nalgonda / Aler – Pembarthi
7. / 209 A / Nizamabad / UPW – KMC
8. / 1 / Warangal / Kazipet – Hasanparthi
9. / 60 / Warangal / Kazipet – Warangal
10. / 64 / Warangal / Warangal Chintalapalli
11. / 67 / Warangal / Chitalapalli-Yelgur
12. / 80 / Warangal / Mahabubabad yard
13. / 90 / Warangal / Garlla – Dornakal
14. / 54 / Warangal / Nashkal-Pindail
15. / 129 / Khammam / Yerrupalem-Gangineni

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CPRO TO CM

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