Taking forward the ministries decision NF Railway started railway embankment work under MNREGA in Katihar Division.
Guwahati
Taking forward the joint decision of the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Railways for utilising the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act for undertaking certain works for Railways,
NF Railway has started work of widening of railway embankment in Kishanganj area of Katihar Division under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act ( MNREGA ). The work is being done under estimates sanctioned by the District Magistrate of Kishanganj district of Bihar & Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal.
In Kishanganj district of Bihar the proposal of embankment repair was sanctioned for 5.7 km of railway track having an approximate cost of 13.4 lakhs and accordingly work started in Pothia block of Kusiyari panchayat in Mangurjan – Aluabari Road block section in UP line under the joint supervision of Program officer Pothia block and Sr. Asst Divisional Engineer, Kishanganj. As of now about 500 meters of cess repairs has been completed and work is under progress in other areas. Almost 30 labours are turning up on regular basis, all provided with job card against MNREGA.
Similarly, District Magistrate of Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal had also sanctioned supplementary estimate of embankment repair for 8.3 kms of railway track having an approximate cost of 21.5 lakhs against MNREGA scheme. And accordingly work started in Islampur block, of Gaisal panchayat. About 20 labours are turning up on regular basis and all of them are being provided with job card against MNREGA scheme.
MNREGA is a scheme under Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India. It’s a social security scheme which covers the entire country. It is designed to provide a minimum job guarantee of 100 days in each financial year for doing any non-skilled work to any adult who register for rural employment.
This joint initiative of N.F. Railway and State govt. of Bihar and West Bengal will be greatly helpful for the rural employment generation and also the repair and upkeep of railway assets will be done at no additional cost to railways.
The types of works proposed to be undertaken through MNREGA include (a) construction & maintenance of approach roads for level crossing (b) developing & cleaning silted water-ways, trenches & drains along tracks (c) construction & maintenance of approach roads to railway stations (d) repairs to earthwork to the existing railway embankments / cuttings (e) clearing vegetation growth and (f) activity of plantation at extreme boundary of railway land.
