The railways on Friday withdrew the Rs 4 crore operational cost bill as sought by the local Maharashtra administration.
The railways on Friday withdrew the Rs 4 crore operational cost bill as sought by the local Maharashtra administration. Union minister for railways Suresh Prabhu ordered the withdrawal of the charges and stated that water trains will continue to serve the needs of the people in the Latur area of Maharashtra as long there is a crisis.
The ministry of railways in a statement said that the minister is personally monitoring the entire operation to bring water to parched Latur. The minister has directed that the concerned officials to continue to run the trains (Jaldoot) till the time there is a need for water. He has directed that the settlement of the operational expenses will never be a constraint in this regard, said a senior official.
The railways has transported more than six crore litres of water to Latur by lifting waters from Miraj.
“Recently, the Latur district administration requested the central railway administration to indicate the cost of water transportation by railways. In response to this request, central railway shared the information on cost of operation in transporting water. The settlement of expenditure is not relevant at this point of time as the most important matter is to continue uninterruptedly with the transportation of water to the people in their hour of need,” the ministry of railways maintained in the statement.
The minister for railways has also ordered that the estimate of expenditure which was sent to the Latur district administration, on their request, will be withdrawn immediately.
The railway board has arranged 100 tank wagons through its Kota workshop and dispatched them to Maharashtra after the water crisis in Latur became acute.
