Bill for coastal fishermen welfare
Team Herald
NEW DELHI: Goa’s BJP MP Narendra Keshav Sawaikar on Friday brought a private member’s Bill to provide socio-economic protection and welfare of fishermen in the coastal states, including establishment of a welfare fund for their benefits.
His Fishermen (Protection and Welfare) Bill envisages to provide adequate life insurance cover to fishermen against accidents, medical care, financial assistance for fishing nets, boats and other necessities.
KR seeks 45 ha for double tracking
NEW DELHI: The Konkan Railway has sought about 45 hectares of land in Goa and Rs 18.60 crore from the Goa government for track doubling and electrification. Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain disclosed this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday in response to a question by Congress MP Shantaram Naik on a second broadgauge railway line between Mumbai and Madgaon on the Konkan railway route.
He said doubling of 46.89-km long patch in the first phase between Roha and Veer at a cost of Rs 296 crore has been sanctioned and the construction has begun. He said a proposal has been also received for doubling of 147 km of track on the route and establishing 21 new railway stations on the Konkan Railway.
NO PANTRY ON PATNA WEEKLY: In reply to another question by Naik, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu ruled out attachment of a pantry car on the weekly Vasco-Patna Express running between Vasco Da Gama and Patna junction since the train is already running with the maximum load of 21 coaches, making it operationally not feasible to attach an extra coach of pantry car.
He further explained that the train has primary examination at Vasco station where th pit line can not accommodate more than 21 coaches. Naik wanted a pantry car in the train since it is a long journey of over 40 hours.
Prabhu said the train’s passengers have enough options to avail catering services at various stations or order food of their choice through e-catering provided at 10 stations on the journey both ways. These include Vasco, Madgaon and Sawantwadi while traveling from Vasco as also Nasik Road, Manmad, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Mughal Sarai and Patna. The last two stations for e-catering on the Vasco-bound train are Kalyan and Panvel.
One can also enjoy local cuisine at Sawantwadi Road through e-catering while traveling from Vasco, courtesy Maher Lok Sanchalit Sudhan Kendra, the minister added.
