The issue, he said, would be taken up with the State Governments also. The Home Ministry, he added, has called for a meeting of Chief Ministers of all naxal-affected states on July 14 to discuss the issue and all care will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
He said preliminary work was underway with the Mysore-Madikeri-Mangalore line sanctioned in the budget and survey work for the same would commence soon.
“About 16 overbridges have been completed so far and work in going on for about 10 more,” he added.
He said Railways also has on agenda PPP projects to build multi-functional complexes and a policy on building world class stations would come up shortly.
Out of this, three stations are also scheduled to come up in the State including Bangalore and Mangalore, he said, adding that first two stations would be handled by South Western Railways and the Mangalore Station by Southern Railways.
“The inception report for the Byapanahalli station was approved by the Railway Board but land is yet to be acquired.”
Muniyappa said some personnel have been suspended in connection with the Railway recruitment scam and investigation is on. A report is awaited. He said the postponement of the recruitment exams had nothing to do with the scam.
The Minister also said the Railways is undertaking a pilot project on bio-toilets in some places and Railways is taking the issue of cleanliness on trains very seriously. Once the project was found effective it would be replicated in trains including Rajdhani and Shatabdi.
In a meeting with Railway contractors, Muniyappa assured his department would expedite settling of bills and procedure for release of payments for works undertaken for the Railways.
Delay in releasing payments was due to the time taken to process bills, paucity of funds, formalities to be completed and shortage of manpower to process the bills, a railway official said, adding arrears amounted to Rs 30-40 crore.
Train cancelled
Train No 6518 Kannur – Yashwanthpur Express via Mangalore which has left Kannur (in Kerala) station at 16.40 hrs on Thursday and scheduled to leave Mangalore Central at 19.45 hrs was cancelled between Mangalore and Yashwanthpur following derailment of a goods train between Yedakumari and Siribagilu stations of Mysore division, according to officials at Palakkad division.
