SATISH HANDA
Amount worth Rs 1132.75 crore was spent on electrification project on rail track between Jammu to Katra railway stations to install steel structures for holding electricity cables , which during inspection by the engineers were found much lesser in weight than specified in the offer submitted by Punjab based firm and were rejected unable to hold the weight of electric cables. Accordingly, vide letter dated August 11, 2020 Railways Ministry blacklisted the firm supplied underweight steel structures for a period of two years due to installation of underweight structure may pose a threat to life of large number of pilgrims travelling in trains visiting holy Mata Vaishno Devi temple at Katra every day.
A question was raised that Y.P. Singh General Manager Central Rail Electrification Unit Allahabad (Core) has blacklisted the firm for a period of two years but neither comments have been identified about replacement of such underweight steel structures posing a threat to the life of travelling passengers but also said anything about action taken against those officers responsible for lapses in this project for installation of underweight steel structures. The railway track was inaugurated in July 2014. According to information, lakhs of pilgrims visit holy Mata Vaishno Devi temple from all over in the country and rail journey between Udhampur to Katra having large number of cuts and curves especially on about 25 km rail track is a real challenge for train drivers as well as travelling passengers.
Information also reveals, track between Jammu and Katra has to be linked to Kashmir rail track as such the same has been considered unsafe and highly sensitive according to national security act. According to information, out of total number of 108 steel structures installed on rail track between Jammu and Katra 82 structures have been identified underweight and unsafe posing a severe threat to the passengers travelling on this rail track. Steel scam has been reported not only on Jammu-Katra rail track but also been exposed iu other sections in the country including on rail tracks between Ghaziabad and Moradabad, Kozikod to Cunnoor. Information also reveals, Railways has already filed a case against the supplier of underweight steel structures seeking CBI investigation in this scam
