New Delhi: The Delhi High Court yesterday directed the central government to consider experts’ suggestions on public safety issues related to the Katra-Qazigund railway project connecting Jammu to Srinagar.
A division bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked “the railway board to consider the representation of the petitioner and pass an order within eight weeks as the matter is in public interest”.
The court also allowed petitioner NGO Centre For Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) to file a fresh representation and submit it before the railway board within a week.
The petition filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan alleged that the current alignment of the Katra-Qazigund rail link would cause “serious safety problem” for public and the railway ministry had rejected the experts’ suggestions, including an alternative alignment.
“Eminent experts, senior railway officials and a high-level expert committee have raised serious concerns over the current alignment which most say overlooks the basic human needs of safety, security and comfort while travelling, and makes the entire project unworkable,” the petition said.
The plea further added that there is a strong support for an alternate alignment which is “safe, less costly, which will considerably reduce route length (and thereby travel time), will improve stability, reduce maintenance cost and time and make relief operations easier”.
Bhushan also said that “the alternate alignment is totally in consonance with international experience and practice of undertaking railway projects in mountainous and hilly regions”.
IANS
