Mumbai’s new Elphinstone FOB ready, but report on delay in building it not done

The panel was supposed to submit its report within three months; the foot overbridge opened to the public on Wednesday.

A three-member committee, which was formed to look into an 18-month delay in issuing a tender for a foot overbridge (FOB) at Elphinstone Road station, is yet to submit its report.

Railway minister Piyush Goyal constituted the panel in October last year, after the Elphinstone Road station stampede in which 23 people were killed. (HT File Photo)

The FOB was opened to the public on Wednesday.

Railway minister Piyush Goyal constituted the panel in October last year, after the Elphinstone Road station stampede in which 23 people were killed. The panel was supposed to submit its report within three months.

It will also suggest ways how to cut delays and speed up the tendering process.

The committee is headed by former vigilance commissioner Pratyanshu Sinha, with Vinayak Chatterjee, economic affairs council chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Subodh Jain, former member of Railway Board (engineering) other members.

To decongest Elphinstone road station, former railway minister Suresh Prabhu had approved a new in the 2016-17 railway budget. But the Western Railways did not issue tenders for FOB. Incidentally, the tender was issued on September 29 last year, the day of the stampede.

The public outcry over the delay in building a new FOB forced Goyal to constitute a committee. Now, the new Elphinstone FOB built at a cost of Rs10 crore is ready. It was opened to the public on Wednesday evening.

Ravinder Bhakar, chief spokesperson of WR, said they are awaiting the report, while the committee chairman declined to comment on the issue.

The committee has conducted a couple of meetings, including one in Mumbai. It was also supposed to meet Railway Board officials in Delhi.