DELHI (Metro Rail News): Today (14 July), Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a series of construction reforms to help Indian Railways complete infrastructure projects faster and better. During his live session, he also launched the new Rail Bhoomi portal to make land acquisition digital and easier to manage. The Railway Ministry has also introduced a digital system to replace the manual process used for land acquisition.
New rules for construction contracts
The Railway Ministry has changed several contract conditions to make project execution more efficient. Under the new system –
- Contractors will provide 10% performance security at the beginning of the contract.
- Indian Railways will not deduct money from running bills after that.
- Contractors must meet stricter eligibility conditions, with pending litigation limited to 50% of their net worth.
- Every contractor must have a Contractor’s All Risk Insurance Policy and a Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy.
- Indian Railways will hand over land in planned phases so construction can move forward without unnecessary interruptions.
Rail Bhoomi Portal
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During this live session, Ashwini Vaishnaw also announces the launch of Rail Bhoomi Portal. It is a web-based platform developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). Until now, Indian Railways handled land acquisition through manual, paper-based processes. But now, this Rail Bhoomi portal will bring the entire process online. The portal connects with railway systems such as IRPSM, IPAS and HRMS, allowing departments to share information more easily. It will also help officials monitor progress of land acquisition, pending cases, compensation status, government notifications and statutory timelines. The portal includes dashboards and MIS reports that will help authorities track projects and speed up decision-making.
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