While sources said the higher increase in cost is a foregone conclusion in view of the increased expenditure on land acquisition, increase in prices of cement, steel and other raw materials, the project implementing agency – National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) – Said that the revised cost can only come on “after award of all contracts and completion of land acquisition”.
The initial deadline of 2022 for the full operation of the 508km project, which was launched in September 2017, had expired. Official data shows that till now 100% land has been acquired in Dadra only Nagar Haveli, when in Gujarat The land acquisition is around 98.9%, it is hardly 73% in Maharashtra. Central government maintains delay in land acquisition Maharashtra The major contributor to the slow progress in the project. Officials acknowledged that there have been some delays in land acquisition in Gujarat, but those issues have been resolved.
Reviewing the progress of the project in Surat in June, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav had said that the cost of the project in Maharashtra is expected to increase due to delay in land acquisition and commencement of work in the state. The government has now set a deadline of 2026 for the operation of the first phase, which is only 51 km between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat.
The government has not yet set any deadline for the operation of the entire section, though it now expects the execution to accelerate after the change of guard in Maharashtra.
In a written reply to a Parliament question by BJP MLA Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday, the Ministry of Railways said: “A phased opening plan will be decided after land acquisition, finalization of contract packages and completion of respective timelines. Delay in land acquisition and contract finalization in Maharashtra as well as delay in project execution due to COVID-19. ,
The ministry also said that Rs 28,442 crore has been spent on the project so far. On the status of land availability, the ministry said that out of the 1,396 hectares required for the project, 90.5% have been acquired.
On the progress of bidding of works, NHSRCL stated that 100% contracts for civil, bridges, viaduct, stations and track have been awarded for the entire alignment of 352 km in Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Bids have been invited for Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) station and 1 km cut-and-cover tunnel in Maharashtra.