IIT-B was roped in after a portion of GK Gokhale bridge in Andheri collapsed on July 3, 2018
Approximately Rs 1 crore is putting the lives of lakhs of railway commuters at risk. It's the amount the Indian Railways and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-B) are squabbling over as fees for a report prepared by the latter on the health of 445 bridges and subways on the suburban railway system
IIT-B was roped in after a portion of GK Gokhale bridge in Andheri collapsed on July 3, 2018. The premier educational institute was asked to assess the health of all bridges and subways under the jurisdiction of the Railways and submit a report by October 2018.
IIT-B, along with a third party, is finally ready with this report, the preliminary version of which is a hefty 2,500 pages. The final version could go up to 10,000 pages. The team claims to have spent nearly Rs 1 crore in the project, and want the Railways to pay up first, or at least show a concrete gesture of in the direction.
"Ultimately," says Professor Pradipta Banerji, who led the IIT-B team, "I will send all the reports. We know the Railways will take care of us."
"Money is not the issue," says an official from Western Railways, adding, "it can be swiftly disbursed under the Safety Fund. There are certain technical details of the study that need to be discussed."
Senior Railway officials say they met with IIT-B early last week and discussed the nitty-gritty of the report, and also the monetary remuneration. "We have decided to prepare a joint agreement that will include every scope of work for this report, including the remuneration to IIT-B," said a senior Railway official.
The Accounts department is currently vetting the joint agreement. "The report will be ready soon," said Ravinder Bhakar, chief PRO of Western Railways "The two agencies will be signing a joint agreement." Then, IIT-B will be paid.
"The report mainly assesses the health of each and every structure, and also the probable age at which it will need repairs, as well as steps that need to be taken for ensuring its longevity," says another Railways official.
Health Check-Up
- IIT-B was roped in after a portion of GK Gokhale bridge in Andheri collapsed on July 3, 2018
- It was to assess the health of all Railway bridges and subways and submit a report by October, 2018.
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