Reasi has got the distinction of having been sanctioned world’s tallest railway bridge coming up between Kauri and Bakkal over Chenab river and the work on it had already started but for the last two weeks it has been stopped all of a sudden as there has appeared some “tussle” between AFCONS and Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) over payment issue.
The bridge, otherwise is part of ambitious Katra – Banihal rail section of Udhampur-Srinagar -Baramulla Rail Project of Northern Railways. Going by the avoidable developments in the project, it is unlikely that the bridge would be completed by 2019 as had earlier been planned. Since the Bridge is being constructed in the hilly areas, the row has erupted over another point, that of how much steel was going to be used in the construction of the bridge. KRCL, after the contract changed the design and 28000 to 29000 tons of steel is going to be used as against 24 to 25000 tons.
Whatever the case, it appears both the agencies in their own right might be having their version justifying the same but the stalemate has resulted into the abrupt stoppage of the work. Why are not arbitration clauses incorporated in the DPR itself and pending arbitration and awarding opinion, the clause should have been incorporated there that work should not be stopped. Even if the tussle takes long time to be settled, the only means is negotiations and arbitration, so why not right in infancy. . We wish the misunderstanding over some issues of payment are settled earlier than any latter so that the State of Jammu and Kashmir adds to its cap another proud feather, that of having the tallest railway bridge of the world in it and in operational mode. The total height of the bridge will be 359 metres, 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris and 5 times higher than Qutub Minar. Really incredible.
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