Work on DFC Western Corridor projects to begin soon: Rathwa

Work on Rs 218.56 billion dedicated freight corridor (DFC) project on the Western corridor will commence soon after land acquisition formalities are complete, union minister of state for Railways, Naranbhai Rathwa said today.

The DFC project linking the Jawaharlal Nehru port trust (JNPT) with Tughlakabad passes through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi. Due to protests by farmers losing their land in the project, it had been delayed, Rathwa told PTI.

The 41 ports located across Gujarat will be linked and their connectivity will be upgraded, which is in addition to the feeder routes of the Western Corridor connecting ports in the state, he said. The district magistrates of various districts on the route of this project have been told to speed up the process of acquiring land for beginning the construction as soon as possible, Rathwa said.

 

The farmers whose lands are acquired for this project, are paid at prevailing jantri rates (land assessment rate) fixed by the state governments, he said. It is the biggest venture of Railways, envisaging construction of 1,483 kilometers passing through the western states and the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a special purpose vehicle for the project, is to undertake construction of this DFC project, Rathwa said.

As per planning, the 920 kms long Rewari-Vadodara is targeted to be completed by 2016 and remaining work on the Vadodara JNPT section will be completed by 2017 which depends upon the acquisition of land, he said.

According to Rathwa, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide a loan of Rs 180 billion for undertaking construction work of the Rewari-Vadodara section in the first phase of the project.

The DFC will help in sparing 40 per cent of the existing railway tracks for running more passenger trains conceding to the demands of the people wanting more introduction of trains services on this route, Rathwa said.