Railways to have single-window clearance for all infra projects

In sync with the rail minister Mamata Banerjee’s commitment in the budget, to formulate a task force within 100 days to clear investment proposals, the railway ministry has decided to initiate a single-window clearance for infrastructure-related proposals.

“The ministry will operate a single window for receipt of all infrastructure investment proposals connected with the Railways,” said a ministry circular.

The Railways has invited proposals from both, institutions as well as individuals. A senior ministry official said the move comes in the wake of the ministry’s plan to fast-track investment in infrastructure, so that delays which may be administrative, procedural, external or internal do not discourage prospective investors.

The Railways is now also taking up the plans announced during ex-railway minister Lalu Prasad’s regime, but have not yet taken off. Going forward, the ministry has initiated Request for Qualification (RFQ) for diesel locomotive unit to be set up at Marhaoura, Bihar. The RFQ procedure will be initiated by the end of this month.

The plan envisages setting up diesel locomotive unit for production and supply on build, operate and own basis.

As per a railway ministry circular, “The supplier shall be selected through open competitive bidding to supply 1000 diesel locomotives (4500-6000 HP) over 10 years and undertake their maintenance.”

The move to initiate single-window proposals will facilitate a number of projects that the ministry has been working on such as commercial utilisation of land, air space and other assets.

The move, the rail ministry hopes, will provide the much needed fillip to plans to develop world-class railway stations, auto hubs, ancillary units for railway production units, high-speed train corridors, port connectivity and mine connectivity.