Kochi: Crucial infrastructure projects, including track doubling works, being carried out by the Southern Railways in the state have been hit as top posts of the chief administrative officer (CAO) and the chief engineer, responsible to oversee construction activities, are lying vacant.
“The situation will turn worse when the other chief engineer D.S. Chauhan retires in two months. The CAO post was allotted to the state a couple of years back on special demand to facilitate speedy execution of development projects. Recently, incumbent CAO P.K. Mishra was transferred to Chennai zone and no replacements have been given to Ernakulam,” said a senior divisional officer.
The state could so far utilise only Rs 80 crore out of the Rs 500 crore allotted to it under the budget and the railway board has already warned that it would cut fund share to the state in the next budget if the funds for the current year lapse.
“Basically the CAO post acted as a monitoring agency for construction activities. More importantly, the projects here could be given priority and the necessary funds allotted. The post lying vacant will surely result in slowing down various development projects including track doubling works,” said Danny Thomas, the first CAO officer to be posted at Ernakulam and currently the DMRC Project Director after retiring from the railways.
An outlay of nearly Rs 340 crore has been set aside for track doubling work, however, it is moving at a snail’s pace.
“The main task is to facilitate land acquisition in the Kuruppanthara-Chingavanam section which is lagging for years now. There is no progress. The state government refusing to meet half the construction cost is another hurdle for projects like coastal doubling works and Sabari path,” he said.
