Hardly on tracks

Madhepura, Sept. 8: The fate of an electrical locomotive factory, to be set up at Madhepura, hangs in the balance.

The Rs 15,000-crore project could help change the face of an otherwise backward Kosi region, home to over three million people. As things stand now, there is no major industry in this region. The game changer of a project was announced and sanctioned by the railway ministry in 2006 when RJD chief Lalu Prasad was heading it. A budgetary allocation was made and an agreement signed with German consultancy firm Greenfield to work out ways of setting up the factory and preparing a detailed project report (DPR).

The project envisaged acquisition of 1,165 acres at Madhepura to set up the plant, a first-of-its-kind in Bihar. The land was to be acquired by the state government.

Eight years after the announcement, Bihar government has acquired just 141 acres at Tuniyahi, Sripurchakla, Balamgarhia and Khopaiti villages on the outskirts of Madhepura, around 240 km northeast of Patna.

“The railways does want to implement this project but unavailability of land has stopped us from commencing work in right earnest,” East Central Railway chief administrative officer Bechu Rai told The Telegraph.

Rai claimed the railways had done its homework for execution of the project and even carried out technical bidding.

He said they were continuously reminding the Madhepura district administration about the urgency of land acquisition fund, but were yet to get a positive reply.

The Madhepura district land acquisition officer, Sudhir Kumar rubbished the railway version. “I am more than willing to complete the land acquisition process but railway officials have never bothered to meet me.”