http://www.oherald.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1034
KRC faces road blocks in attempt to come out of red
BY HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, APRIL 7 :------ Loss-making Konkan Railway on Thursday has said the Corporation expects to break-even five years from now, but officials say the growth projections may get derailed due to the delays to put in place projects such as the Sky Bus. And, with the expert committee constituted by the Union Urban Development
Loss-making Konkan Railway on Thursday has said the Corporation expects to break-even five years from now, but officials say the growth projections may get derailed due to the delays to put in place projects such as the Sky Bus.
And, with the expert committee constituted by the Union Urban Development Ministry yet to submit its report on the indigenously developed Sky Bus technology, the KRC only says the project will take off as and when the committee gives its final nod.
Briefing newsmen, KRC Managing Director, Dr K K Gokhale said the KRC is awaiting the report of the expert committee. "The tenure of the committee headed by the Dean of IIT Delhi expired last month. The Urban Development Ministry will have to first given extension to the committee to prepare a report", he said, adding the "sky bus may take off anytime after the expert committee submit their report". Gokhale said around 14 cities, including Jaipur and Chandigarh have shown interest in the project.
The KRC has invested Rs 50 crore in the project. The KRC MD says the Corporation has put up a fairly good performance in the last financial year despite a slow down due to the tragic rail accident. According to him, the total revenue earned last year was around Rs 280 crores -- Rs 200 crore on Passenger traffic and Rs 80 cr on freight.
The freight traffic has started showing up and that's a good sign for us, he added. He pointed out that though the cumulative losses has touched Rs 1900 crores, the losses has come down last year from Rs 400 cr to Rs 310 crore.
Gokhale said the indigenously developed Anti-Collision Devise is being currently implemented on the entire North Frontier railway, adding the KRC expects the Indian Railway to cover the entire rail route by 2013.
"Presently, we are implementing the devise on the 1700 km rail route of the Frontier Railway at a cost of Rs 68 crores", he said. Gokhale said the ACD's has been fine-tuned into a sophisticated gadget since its invention five years ago, adding that even countries like Australia, France and Sri Lanka have asked queries on the safety devise.
"We would launch aggressive marketing for the devise once we receive the patent", he added. Meanwhile, asked on the proposed amalgamation of KRC with Indian Railways, Gokhale said that KRC's board of directors has asked the Union government to extend the status quo till KRC clear its debts and liabilities. As per an agreement, KRC was to merge with the Indian Railways in June 2005. .
