New Delhi, July 28: In a significant step towards strengthening railway infrastructure and enhancing network capacity, Indian Railways has sanctioned the upgradation of the electric traction system on the Parbhani-Mudkhed double line section in Nanded division of South Central Railway, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Railways on Tuesday.

The project, which also includes associated power supply installation works, has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 163 crore, converting the existing 1×25 kV electric traction system to a more advanced 2×25 kV system over a stretch of 164 track kilometres, supported by upgraded power supply infrastructure to meet the enhanced electrical load, the statement said.

The Parbhani-Mudkhed section forms part of the strategically important Highly Utilised Network (HUN) Route-9, connecting Ajmer-Indore-Khandwa-Akola-Purna-Mudkhed-Secunderabad-Mahbubnagar-Dhone.

The upgraded traction system will strengthen power supply for train operations, enabling the section to handle higher freight volumes and support the running of Vande Bharat Express trains. It will also contribute to Indian Railways’ goal of achieving 3,000 million tonnes of freight loading by 2029-30, the statement said.

The project is part of the continuing efforts of Indian Railways to modernise electrical infrastructure and improve operational efficiency on high-density corridors across the country.

The country has emerged as the global leader with the largest electrified railway network in the world. With 99.6 per cent electrification of the country’s broad gauge track network, India is second only to Switzerland which has 100 per cent railway electrification, but the network is much smaller, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha earlier this month.

India’s railway network electrification is ahead of China (82 per cent), Spain 67 (per cent), Japan (64 per cent), France (60 per cent) the United Kingdom (39 per cent).

Indian Railways has undertaken one of the fastest railway electrification programmes in the world.

Electrification of the track network on Indian Railways has been taken up in mission mode with a massive 48,072 route km being electrified between 2014-2026. This represents a sharp acceleration compared to the 21,801 route km that was electrified in the 60 years before this period, the minister stated.

Patna, July 28: The Bihar Economic Offences Unit (EOU) on Tuesday carried out simultaneous raids at multiple locations in Jamui as part of an investigation into alleged benami (proxy-owned) assets linked to Zila Parishad Chairperson Dulari Devi and her husband Guddu Yadav.

The operation was still underway at the time of filing this report.

According to an official, the EOU launched coordinated searches at the residences of Dulari Devi, Guddu Yadav, and four to five of their close associates.

The raids have attracted significant attention across the district.

The search operation is being conducted at several locations, including Guddu Yadav’s in-laws’ residence in Damarkola village under the Khaira police station area, his residence at the district headquarters, and the official Zila Parishad residence.

Investigators are examining documents, financial records, property-related papers, and other materials relevant to the probe.

Preliminary information indicates that the raids are part of an investigation into allegations of benami assets.

However, the EOU has not yet issued an official statement detailing the basis of the searches or the scope of the investigation.

The operation was continuing when this report was filed, and it remains unclear whether any incriminating documents, cash, valuables, or other evidence have been recovered.

Officials are expected to release further details after the search operation is completed.

Earlier on June 11, the EOU had conducted another raid at the properties of Manish Kumar — an accountant working at the Hajipur Municipal Council office in Vaishali — for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Preliminary investigations have revealed evidence of assets worth approximately Rs 2.02 crore in excess of his income.

According to the EOU, a case (Case No. 10/26, dated June 10, 2026) was registered against Manish Kumar at the Economic Offences Unit police station following the verification of information received from reliable sources.

The case has been registered under Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (amended in 2018).

New Delhi, July 28: A newly inaugurated Rs 16 crore bridge at Nanda Ki Chowki over the Tons River in Dehradun sustained damage following overnight heavy rainfall, triggering questions over the quality of construction of the crucial link connecting Dehradun with Vikasnagar and neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

The bridge, which was inaugurated only a few days ago, developed a massive crater near its approach road after incessant rainfall, disrupting vehicular movement along the route.

The incident has prompted residents to question whether the newly constructed infrastructure was adequately designed to withstand Uttarakhand’s annual monsoon, which is known for intense rainfall and flooding.

Amid concerns over the damage, Dehradun District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan clarified that the bridge structure itself had not suffered any damage and said restoration work on the affected approach road had already begun.

Speaking to media, Chauhan said, “In this regard, our 24×7 control room had already been activated, and reinforcement teams were deployed immediately. The bridge itself is intact. The damage has occurred to the approach road leading to the bridge, and restoration work is already underway. All the Chief Engineers and other officials are also on the scene and reviewing the restoration process.”

Meanwhile, the Congress staged a protest over the damage to the bridge. Party leader Sangram Singh Pundir questioned “serious lapses” in the execution of the project and demanded accountability from the government.

Speaking to media, Pundir questioned how a newly inaugurated bridge could suffer such damage within days of its completion.

“This bridge had just been constructed, yet it collapsed within a mere sixteen days — a massive failure. While the District Magistrate dismisses it as just a small section giving way, the reality is that all traffic movement here has come to a complete halt. In the past, whenever such incidents occurred, the concerned minister would immediately take moral responsibility and resign; today, we see nothing of the sort,” he said.

The Congress leader further demanded an investigation into the construction of the project, alleging that the incident had raised serious concerns about the quality of work carried out.

“The very infrastructure that was meant to serve the public has been reduced to rubble. We raise this issue vehemently and demand a CBI inquiry into how a newly built bridge collapsed so quickly. It is deeply concerning that a bridge costing Rs 16 crore crumbled in just 16 days; this casts serious doubt on the government and the executing agencies,” he said.

Pundir also accused local legislators of failing to take appropriate action and launched a sharp attack on Uttarakhand Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satpal Maharaj, demanding answers regarding the execution of the project and the contractor responsible for the construction.

“This bridge falls within our constituency; five bridges have been built over the Tons River, yet they have remained dilapidated for nearly 20 years. What kind of flaws exist here? A bridge collapsing within 15 or 16 days warrants strict action against the contractor. We will launch a protest against the contractor,” he added.