L&T wins ₹25,000 Bullet Train Project – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited

• National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) was incorporated on 12th February 2016 under the Companies Act, 2013,
• With an object to finance, construct, maintain and manage the High Speed Rail Corridor in India.
• The Company has been modelled as ‘Special Purpose Vehicle’ in the joint sector with equity participation by Central Government and two State Governments.

• 508 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, also called the MAHSR Bullet Train project, will cover-
• 76 km in Maharashtra, 4.3 km in the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and 348.04 km in Gujarat.
• The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor is being built at a cost of ₹1.08 lakh crore with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Now what has happened?

• The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) on Thursday signed an agreement for the country’s biggest infrastructure contract,
• For design and construction of 47% alignment for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
• “The NHSRCL signed contract agreement with Larsen & Toubro Limited today for the design and construction of 237 km length of viaduct,
• Between Vapi (Zaroli Village at Maharashtra- Gujarat Border) and Vadodara in the state of Gujarat for 508 kms of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor,“
• The statement from the company said.

What the project includes?

• The contract signed with Larsen & Turbo also includes four stations namely Vapi, Billimora, Surat and Bharuch, Surat Depot,
• 14 river crossings, 42 road crossings and six railway crossings including one mountain tunnel of 350 metres length, the NHSRCL said in a statement.

Why L&T?

• The NHSRCL invited bids for the Mumbai – Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail) on March 15, 2019.
• Technical bids were opened on September 23, 2020 in which three bidders qualified.
• The other two bidders were a consortium of Tata Projects Ltd. – J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd. – NCC Ltd. JV & Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. – Ircon International Ltd. – JMC Projects India Ltd. JV.
• In less than one month, the financial bids were opened after evaluation of the technical bids.
• Larsen & Toubro has emerged as the lowest bidder to build the largest segment of the upcoming high speed rail line between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
• The company bid ₹24,985 crore for constructing the 237.1 km line.

What about land acquisition?

• Chairman Railway Board VK Yadav said 66 per cent land —
• 86 percent of total project land in Gujarat and 22 per cent in Maharashtra — have so far been acquired for the project.

• 88 km viaduct between Vadodara and Ahmedabad in Gujarat including construction of Anand/Nadiad Station.

• The 2022 completion target for the ambitious bullet train may be pushed by another two years as the NHSRCL has spelt out.
• “Although the Indian government has been making sincere efforts to operationalise and gift India its first bullet train in 2022, to mark 75 years of Independence,
• The duration for completion of the works is four years from the date of commencement of the contract.”

Q) Which of the following statement is correct?

1. Most of India’s external debt is owed by governmental entities.
2. All of India’s external debt is denominated in US dollars.

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 & 2
4. None of the above

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