A delegation from Goa meets South Western Railway Additional General Manager at Hubballi

Digambar Kamat, Ex. Chief Minister of Goa, presently MLA, Margao, met P K Mishra, Additional General Manager, SWR at Rail Soudha, Headquarters of South Western Railway and submitted a memorandum reg. doubling in State of Goa. Kamat expressed apprehensions on impact of proposed doubling of Railway track between Castle Rock to Vasco-da-gama. P K Mishra has explained that the project is being taken up basically to improve connectivity to the State of Goa from Southern States. He has informed that during the conception of original Railway line itself, the same was planned to be broad gauge with double line but had to be modified to meter gauge and single line because of the compatibility with Castle Rock to Bellary Railway line being done in British India. He quoted that the same was mentioned in treaty of Lisbon signed in 1878 between Indian Governments of Portuguese and Britain. Mishra categorically stated that the thrust now is on switching over to clean, non-conventional sources of energy and the decline in modal share of coal as source of energy is clearly evident from the volumes being transported over last two years. He said that future belongs to and is defined by usage of non conventional sources of energy. Government is actively advocating reduction in usage of coal and more so imported coal. He also told that in Goa, cap on amount of coal that can be handled at Mormugao Port Trust already exists, being environmentally conscious State. Hence the question of transporting more coal after doubling doesn't arise.