Kolhapur: The ministry of railways has sanctioned the detailed budget estimate of Rs 513.07 crore for the Pune-Miraj-Kolhapur electrification works that will catapult city's connectivity with rest of the country and provide major boost to the industrial sector.The ministry of Railways had announced the project in the 2016-17 rail budget and gave in-principle approval for electrification of 326 km long railway tracks in November 2016.At the same time, railway administration allotted the work to public sector enterprise Power Grid Corporation India Limited (PGCIL). However, the final sanction to the detailed estimate of the project was given on Thursday by minister of railways Suresh Prabhu.The official press statement form public relation office of Central Railway said, "The section falls in Pune division of Central Railway and passes through Pune, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra. Electrification of this section will provide shorter and seamless movement on electric traction between Western (Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur, Pune etc.) and Southern (Bengaluru, Chennai) part of the country via Pune-Miraj-Londa-Hospet-Guntakal and Pune-Miraj-Londa-Hubballi-Chikjajur-Bengaluru as these sections are electrified or under electrification."City-based railway activists and experts termed the development as a big step for Kolhapur.Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Dhananjay Mahadik said, "The ministry of railways has fulfilled one of the many demands regarding better rail connectivity for Kolhapur with rest of country. In the rail budget for 2016-17, the rail minister had announced doubling of Miraj-Kolhapur track with electrification. The railway administration has given permission for electrification works. This is first stage of development."Member of Central Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee Samir Sheth called it major development for passenger and cargo transportation in Kolhapur. "Lack of electrified rail track from Pune to Kolhapur has slowed down the frequency of trains to Kolhapur. Many trains stop in Pune for changing the engine and it eventually delays the journey. Diesel engines are not as much powerful as electric engines. After electrification speed of all trains will automatically increase."He added, "We have already been demanding additional trains for Kolhapur and have already registered our demand for additional trains on Kolhapur-Ahmedabad, Kolhapur-Delhi, Kolhapur-Shirdi and Kolhapur- Mumbai routes."But the major challenge before railway administration is project deadline. Railway is known for non-compliance of deadlines. Therefore, Railways should instruct PGCIL to comply with the deadline of projects.President of Kolhapur Chamber of Commerce and Industries Lalit Gandhi said, "Electrification of Pune-Kolhapur rail track is basic infrastructure work for cargo transportation. It will give boost to sugar and bauxite transportation. At present, sugar from Kolhapur fails to stand in major market due to road transportation and electrification would speed up its transportation."

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