New Delhi: Is the prestigious Kashmir Rail Link project doomed to fail? CNN-IBN has accessed official audio-recordings of a key meeting between senior railway officials, which reveal critical construction failures, and a possible cover up, as India's and the Railway's prestige was at stake.
During the meeting, former member of Railway Board RR Jaruhar said, "Do you want to go back and tell him (Prime Minister)? It's a national project, he will have to be consulted, cabinet will have to be consulted. Will you go and tell - 'Sir we bloody well made a serious mistake'. Can we afford to say this?"
Former Managing Director of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, Anurag Mishra, said in the meeting, "This would be the first time we will be announcing to the whole world that we were totally wrong. I don't think we can do that. It will not only be a national but an international catastrophe for India and railways."
With collapsing tunnels, rising costs and over Rs 1000 crore of outstanding claims by contractors at present, the rail lifeline to Kashmir is in a mess. ...
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08:20 PM, Feb 08, 2011
