With the state government deciding to share the cost in view of the forthcoming Kumbh mela, two new platforms will come up at the Nashik Road railway station
The state government has decided to grant Rs 12.87 crore to the Central Railways (CR) to create infrastructure, including the construction of additional platforms at the Nashik Road railway station.
At present, only three platforms are there at the Nashik Road railway station. The grant will help in the construction of 585-m wide platforms number 4 and 5 at the station. The other major development the government aid will help with is the shifting of the railway tracks because of the construction of new platforms. Both the works will cost Rs 5.75 crore and the rest of the grant, as promised by the state government’s apex committee, will be used in raising permanent infrastructure.
It was conveyed to us by the state government that an aid of Rs 12.87 crore will be given to the Railways for their works.
The minutes of the meetings were being prepared and they would soon be sent to the Railways as well. The Railways is waiting for a letter from the state government, but we have no idea when this will happen. However, the minutes of the meeting will be prepared soon and sent to the Railways after which they can go ahead with their plans.
50% of the cost to raise the infrastructure at the Nashik Road railay station had been promised by the High Power Committee (HPC) on Kumbh mela headed by the chief secretary of the state and had sealed the total infrastructural development of Rs 25.75 crore in the priority development plan as against the proposal of Rs 42 crore that the Railways had estimated. The Rs 42-crore proposal included land acquisition from the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) for the terminal. The Railways has focused on providing permanent and temporary infrastructure to the citizens and pilgrims during the Kumbh mela and the given the availability of funds, the land acquisition process has been put off.
It is estimated that the cost of construction of the platform, a few buildings and sheds for employees and offices will be at Rs 10.36 crore when they presented their estimates to the state government, the cost was revised to Rs 12.15 crore.
The Railways meanwhile has floated a tender for the construction of widening of the Foot Over Bridge (FOB) no. 1 by providing an additional adjacent FOB connecting to platform no. 1, 2 and 3 and providing landing towards the city side for direct exit and development of circulating area by dismantling the station manager quarter and the coolie rest room among other things.
The tender opened on February 14 accordingly.
Apart from these major works, the Railways has undertaken other works as well – including construction of waiting rooms, water posts, etc. The rest of the funds have been kept aside, which will be utilized for providing temporary arrangements for pilgrims at the railway station during Kumbh Mela.