NEW DELHI, August 24: The Dedicated Freight Corridors, one of the largest rail infrastructure projects spanning over 3,360 route kilometres in the first phase and estimated to cost Rs 81,459 crores, are expected to be completed by December, next year.
This information was given by the senior officials of the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation India Limited (DFCCIL) to the railways and commerce minister Piyush Goyal who held a review meeting on Monday to appraise the current status of the project adversely affected by the Corona lockdown.
The officials told the minister that both the Western Corridor connecting Dadri in Utttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Mumbai and Eastern Corridor starting from Sahnewal near Ludhiana (Punjab) to Dankuni in West Bengal were progressing simultaneously and were expected to be completed by December, 2021.
The minister directed the DFFCIL management team to take necessary steps to speed up the project to compensate the loss of time due to lockdown during COVID. He also advised the officials to identify the most challenging area and come up with solution in a mission mode. He suggested that involving young fresh minds to suggest best solutions may be encouraged.
During the meeting, it was decided that strict monitoring of work of all contractors to be done and resolve all issues, including coordination with the States, on a Mission mode. He also advised evolving innovative mechanisms to constantly monitor the weekly progress of the projects.
The DFCCIL has been set up as a special purpose vehicle to undertake planning, development, mobilization of financial resources, construction, maintenance and operation of Dedicated Freight Corridors. In the first phase the organisation is constructing the Western DFC (1504 Route km) and Eastern DFC (1856 route km) spanning a total length of 3360 route kms.
(Manas Dasgupta)
