Lucknow, Jan 22: Decks have finally been cleared for setting up a Rail Coach Factory in Congress chief Sonia Gandhi`s constituency with the execution of the land lease deed between the Railways and the UP government which had stalled the project in October last year.
The lease deed for the 189.253 acres of land in Lalganj tehsil of Rae Bareli was executed on January 17 and its copy alongwith a supplementary affidavit was filed by the Railways in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court yesterday.
With this, the work on the Rs 2000-crore project can start and is likely to be completed in two years, sources said.
The work on the factory to come up on about 1000 acres was stalled when the state government which had ownership of 189. 253 acres refused to transfer the land citing opposition by locals just before Gandhi was to arrive on the site for the groundbreaking ceremony, sparking a political furore.
Gandhi was also allegedly stopped from addressing a rally there with authorities diverting her convoy.
The Mayawati government`s decision was challenged in the High Court but later the state decided to grant the land to the Railways on lease.
Gandhi is likely to visit Rae Bareli on January 27 and 28 and might visit the factory site, the sources said.
Bureau Report
