Maharashtra CM asks railways to expedite Latur=Kurduwadi rail line

Mumbai, Oct 17 (UNI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today appealed to the Railway Ministry to complete the Latur-Kurduwadi railway line by December 2007.

He was speaking at a meeting of senior Railway officials to discuss the pending issues concerning the much awaited railway line.

Mr Deshmukh, who hails from Latur, said the locals were struggling to have the railway line for the last 50 years and added that it was his priority to take the issue to the logical end.

''I will personally look into all the local level problems coming in the way of constructing the railway line'', the Chief Minister told the officials.

Railway officials told the Chief Minister that a time bound action plan would be prepared to complete the pending project.

The 125 km long rail line needs 382.55 hectare land out of which 207.33 hectare has been acquired. Laying down of tracks and bridge is under progress on the land acquired.

Central Railway will embark on widening of the 359 km Miraj-Latur railway line. About Rs 515.57 crore expendtiture is expected to be incurred out of which Rs 257.39 crore has been already spent.

Maharashtra government has provided 2.6 lakh cubic meter base stones till May 2006 for the project.

UNI MR PM SY MIRKP1945