Ranchi: An MOU was signed between Government of Jharkhand and the Railway Board on completion of five railway projects by March 31, 2017.
The MOU was signed by executive director (Works) of the Railway Boad Ved Prakash Dudeja and secretary of State Transport Department Ratan Kumar in the presence of chief secretary Rajiv Gauba.
According to the agreement dates of completion of the ongoing projects have been extended to March 31, 2017. The projects would be carried out on 50:50 cost sharing basis between railways and the State Government.
According to the agreement an estimated cost of Rs 5775 Crores would be spent on the projects in which State Government would have to bear 3221 Crores. Out of 3221 Crores the State Government has already released 2219 Crores to the railways. The rest 1002 Crores will be provided by the State government.
The state government will release 66.19 Crores for the financial year 2014-15. The projects which will be taken up include Koderma-Hazaribagh, Nawadih-Kanwar, Shikaripara-Pinagaria, Barkichapi-Tori and Hazaribagh-Barkakana rail project.
It may be mentioned here that an MOU had been signed between State Government and the Railways on six railway projects of Rs 1997 Crores on February 19, 2002.
As per the MOU the projects including Ranchi-Barkakana-Hazarigagh-Koderma, Ranchi-Lohardaga extension to Tori, Koderma-Tilaiya, Koderma-Giridih, Deoghar-Dumka, and Dumka-Rampurhat should have been completed by now. Cost sharing of State Government and the railways were 66.67 percent and 33.33 percent respectively.
However the projects remained incomplete till February 18, 2007. Thereafter another MOU was signed on February 14, 2012 and extension was given till February 2013. But the MOU lapsed in 2013.
Now the railways and the State Government have signed yet another MOU though the estimated costs of the projects have increased manifold.