The big difference between the Escalator price in Central & Western Railways

The Railway Administration  have started works on installation of Escalators for the commuters at railways stations to provide betterment of facilities. But the information provided to RTI Activist Anil Galgali in regard to the cost of purchase and installation of these Escalators paints a different picture altogether. The cost for procurement and installations is different for Central and that for the Western Railways. 

RTI Activist Anil Galgali had filed an RTI in regard to the number of Escalators installed at Railway Stations and the cost for the same. Central Railway's Electric department's Deputy Chief Engineer Neeraj Kumar Varma in his reply said that in all of 14 stations available with the Central Line 20 escalators have been installed. The total cost for the same is 11,90,60,388/- The ones (8 nos) installed at Dadar, Thane, Dombivali & Kalyan costed 4.35 crores which means for 1 Escalator the cost is coming up to Rs. 54,37,500/- The ones (4 nos) installed at Ulhasnagar, Bhandup and Vidyavihar have costed 3,09,93,750/ fuming to Rs. 77,48,437.50/- per escalator. Kanjurmarg alone escalator has costed Rs. 76.96,000/- Vikroli one costed Rs. 72,62,625/- whereas the one at Mulund has costed Rs. 77,45,309/-. Nagpur station has been installed with 2 Escalators that costed 1,09,32,900/- which means one costed Rs.. 54,66,450/- Gulbarga Escalators has costed 54,77,268 and the other one costed 54,52,536/- 

On the western side of the total 34 escalators installed on 13 Stations. 1 Escalator on an average has costed Rs. 1.08 crores. Andheri has 7, Bhayndar 1,Borivali 5, In Dadar 2, Vile Parle 1, 6 in Goregaon, 1 in Kandivali, 2 in Vasai road, 1 in Nallasopara, In Surat 2, Vadodara 2, Ratlam has 2, and Ahmedabad has 2 out of all 34 escalators. 

Anil galgali has expressed his concern about the variance in the cost of installation of escalators and expressed that If the contract been given to only 1 company then cost would have been uniformed and the variance wouldn't have arised. Galgali has demanded a probe in the same.