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The Konkan dream finally comes true!

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will dedicate the 760-kilometre long Konkan Railway, India's biggest rail project of this century, to the nation at Maharashtra's Ratnagiri on Friday.

Termed as a baby of non-Congress governments, the railway, which cost over Rs 34 billion, connects the country's north-western part to the southern, and is Asia's longest rail line project constructed at one stretch, in just 10 years. Of its total length of 760 km, 382 km is in Maharashtra, 105 km in Goa, and 273 km in Karnataka.

The rail line has 169 big and 1,670 small bridges and 88 tunnels, of which some are kilometres long.

Interestingly, the project always got the boost during the tenure of non-Congress governments. It is also being dedicated to the country by a non-Congress prime minister.

Friday's ceremony coincides with Maharashtra day and International Labour Day.

The people of Maharashtra, especially Bombay, have demanded a rail line connecting Goa with the Konkan region for years. But the task was difficult because of the rough mountains in the region. The huge budget needed was another problem.

In 1977, when the Janata Party came to power at the Centre, then railway minister Madhu Dandavate, who represented the Konkan region, mooted the idea. Though about 15 km of track was laid between Apta and Roha, the project collapsed with the fall of the government.

When the Janata Dal government of V P Singh came to power in 1989, with George Fernandes looking after railways minister and Madhu Dandavate the finance minister, the project gained ground again. For Fernandes, who is now the defence minister in the 18 party Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition, it was a good issue as he himself was from Bombay and understood the problem.

After a series of talks, the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited was formed, directly under the railway ministry's control. The hectic efforts, hard work and dedication of 10 years was given a final shape when it was commissioned on January 26.

Since Goa, Kerala and Karnataka benefits from the project along with Maharashtra, they were all made equity partners. Funds were made up from the railway ministry, the four states and foreign loan. Rupees 8 billion was raised by floating bonds.

The work on the project commenced at 12 places simultaneously, on built-operate-transfer basis. Since a corporation was formed, it was not hindered by the frequent change of governments.

During the project, over 150 people lost their lives. Maharashtra Janata Dal general secretary and president of Konkan Janadhikar Samiti Professor Gopal Dukhande says a memorial should be built for them.

"The project will remain incomplete till a memorial is constructed, " he said, adding that a museum should also be constructed to throw light on the enormity of the task.

Konkan is a land of cash crops -- cashew, mango, coconut and bettle nuts. However, lack of transport and communication facilities has hindered the development of the region.

Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, Minister of State for Railways Ram Naik, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj, Maharashtra Governor Dr P C Alexander and Chief Minister Manohar Joshi will be present at the dedication ceremony.

UNI

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