RED TAPE DELAYS NORTHERN LINE

Bureaucratic red tape had delayed the reconstruction of the Northern railway track between Pallai and Kankesanthurai, project officials said yesterday.

Ircon International Ltd, a government of India undertaking is engaged in the reconstruction of the Northern railway line in four stages. However, the company had run short of gravel needed for the laying of the track between Pallai and KKS.

Icron’s General Manager (Civil) Guru Chadthan told Daily Mirror yesterday that, though there were gravel sites are available in the Mul-

Ircon International Ltd, a government of India undertaking is engaged in the reconstruction of the Northern railway line in four stages. However, the company had run short of gravel needed for the laying of the track

laitivu area, the company had been unable to get clearance from the authorities concerned to obtain their gravel from there.

Mr. Chadthan who is in charge of the Pallai – Kankesanthurai project said permission from institutions such as the Department of Archaeology, the Central Environmental Authority, the Forest Department and the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau was needed to extract gravel from the sites in question, “We have pressed this case for the last five months but it has not been possible to get clearance from all of these institutions and the work cannot be completed,” he said.

However, Ircon au-

We have pressed this case for the last five months but it has not been possible to get clearance from all of these institutions and the work cannot be completed,”

thorities remain optimistic that the matter could be resolved soon and have taken up the issue with the Transport Ministry.

Already jungle clearance, survey work and geotechnical investigations have been completed and the rails have been obtained for the 64km long Pallai - KKS track. There will be seven stations and 74 culverts and bridges in this section of the line.

The work on other three Northern Railway projects is in full swing. Train operations will commence between Medawachchiya and Madhu next month and from Omanthai and Kilinochchi in June.