Rs 70 cr allocated to speed up work on Chhindwara-Nagpur gauge
conversion
AN OUTLAY of Rs 70 crore has been proposed in the Railway Budget 2007-08 to speed up the work of gauge conversion of Chhindwara-Nagpur narrow gauge line, the Minister of State for Railways R Velu informedAnusuiya Uikey (BJP) in Lok Sabha on Friday.
The gauge conversion work of Chhindwara-Nagpur section (149.52 kms)was included in the Budget 2005-06 at an anticipated cost of Rs383.79 crore. An outlay of Rs 45 crore has been provided for project in 2006-07. The Minister said the actual expenditure incurred on this project during the current financial year will be known once the accounts are finalized after the end of current financial year and no target date has yet been fixed. CHHINDWARA- JABALPUR LINE: In another written answer to Uikey, the Minister said the work of gauge conversion of Nainpur-Jabalpur is in progress as part of sanctioned Gondia-Jabalpur (including Balaghat-Katangi) gauge conversion project. An outlay of Rs 60 crore has been proposed for Chhindwara- Seoni-Jabalpur in the Budget 2007-08. An updating survey for conversion of Nainpur-Chhindwara (via Seoni) (140 kms) metre gauge line into broad gauge has been included in the Budget 2007-08. No timeframe for approval/taking up this project is feasible has been given. The proposal would be further processed based on the results of the survey. DABHOL POWER PROJECT: Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde informed Nivedita Mane in Lok Sabha on Friday that based on the indications given by Petronet LNG Ltd/GAIL India Ltd, the revival of Power Block-III (740 MW) has been preponed and is now planned for April 2007, and Power Block-1 (670 MW) is planned for November, 2007, on best efforts basis. The Power Block-II (740 MW) was restarted in April 2006 and is currently under operation on naphtha and supplying infirm power to the Maharashtra grid. 3 villages relocated in Melghat Tiger Reserve Three out of the 22 villages situated in the Melghat Tiger Reserve sanctuary (788.75 sq.m.) have already been relocated,
the Minister of State for Forest and Environment, Namo Narain Meena said in a written reply to Sayeda Anwara Taimur and Vijay Darda in Rajya Sabha on Friday. An amount of Rs 63 lakh has been provided under the centrally sponsored scheme of Project Tiger to the State for relocation of three more villages from the remaining 19 villages.He said the recent amendments to Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in 2006 provides for the relocation process, to benefit the people being relocated as well as to maintain inviolate areas for wild animals. An area of 526.92 sq. km. area of the tiger reserve is being managed asmultiple uses area.
