Padil-Bajal RuB delay may drag on till end 2015

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 9, 2015: The Padil-Bajal Railway Under Bridge (RuB), which is much in need, could not see the light of day in 2015.  The monsoon has already arrived, the Railways is not prepared to take up any further work so as to not disturb the tracks above.

Despite several meetings and reminders, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has failed to provide the drawings of the approach roads, which are crucial for the opening of the RuB for vehicular traffic, said Anand Prakash, Divisional Railway Manager, Palakkad Division, Southern Railway.  he added  that urging the MCC to furnish the drawings since last  three months has had no result so far. 

The DRM was in Mangaluru to participate in the Passenger Facilitation Fortnight organised by the Ministry of Railways from May 26 to June 9. He donated blood at the voluntary blood donation camp organised at Mangaluru Central Railway Station.

 DRM  Prakash said he visited the RuB even on June 8,Monday.  The approach road is almost clear from Padil-side, it is still incomplete on Bajal-side.   the MCC  was asked to get a power line and a transformer shifted. There is also a water line which has to be shifted. Nothing has materialised.  Since the monsoon has already set in, Railways would not undertake any work beneath the tracks. Work could re-start after the monsoon, may be in early October and it would take at least  two months for completion. 

While laying the foundation stone for the project on August 16 last, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, then as the Minister for Railways, had promised to open the RuB for the general public  early in 2015.  

Though the Railways was on time in completing its portion of work— pushing concrete boxes beneath the tracks —the delay had been on the part of MCC.  Minister DVS Gowda, at an  inspection last month, had asked the Railways and MCC to get the RuB ready by  June 2015, but it could not be so.