Panel to probe delay in tender for Mumbai rail bridge

A high-level committee led by former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Pratyush Sinha has been set up to probe the delay in the sanction of work to build a new wider foot overbridge at the Elphinstone Road railway station in Mumbai, a railway official said.

"The committee set up by the Railways will probe why there was delay in giving tender for the new overbridge despite sanction for the work 18 months ago," Ministry Spokesperson Anil Saxena told IANS.

He said the committee will submit its report in three months. "The committee will also give suggestions/recommendations on preventing such accidents in future," the official added.

As many as 22 persons were killed and more than 50 others injured in a stampede at the foot overbridge connecting Elphinstone Road and Parel railway stations on September 29. One person died in hospital the next day.

Saxena said the committee includes Railway Board Member (Infrastructure) Vinayak Chatterjee, former Railway Board Member (Engineering) Subodh Jain, and the Railway Board Safety Director.

--IANS

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