Ranchi: Efforts have been intensified to expedite the proposed East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFCCIL) project connecting Surat and Dankuni, with senior DFCCIL officials holding high-level meetings with the Jharkhand government and forest authorities in Ranchi. The meetings focused on key implementation aspects, including land acquisition and forest clearance challenges along the route.

Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) Managing Director Praveen Kumar met Jharkhand Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, senior Home Department officials, and top forest officials to discuss pending approvals and measures required to accelerate the project’s implementation.

During the discussions at the Jharkhand Secretariat, officials reviewed challenges related to land acquisition and clearances for corridor stretches passing through forest areas in the state. Concerns were raised that delays in approvals could affect the execution schedule of the freight corridor project.

To streamline the process, a special nodal officer will be appointed by the Jharkhand government to coordinate between various central and state departments and facilitate speedy disposal of land acquisition and forest-related matters linked to the project.

Officials also discussed fixing timelines and improving coordination between the Centre and the state government for faster execution of the corridor.

In a separate meeting, Praveen Kumar held talks with Dr Arta Trana Mishra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Executive Director-cum-WLDB, regarding the EWDFC alignment passing through forest land in Jharkhand. The discussions focused on ensuring timely forest clearances and coordinated efforts for smooth commissioning of the project, with forest authorities assuring full support.

DFCCIL General Manager (Security) Ashish Mishra and General Manager (Coordination-Kolkata) Shouvik Sen Gupta were present during the meetings.

Officials said the East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor is expected to strengthen freight movement between Surat and eastern India while improving logistics efficiency for industries, including Surat’s textile sector. DeshGujarat