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PM launches rly. projects

By Sandeep Dikshit

The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, launching the National Rail Vikas Yojana through a video conference in New Delhi on Thursday. Looking on is the Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar. — PTI

NEW DELHI DEC. 26. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today dedicated to the nation three cost-intensive railway projects under the Rashtriya Rail Vikas Yojana (RRVY) and called for stepped-up efforts to mobilise funds from non-conventional sources for other projects too.

With a loan of $313.6 million, received from the Asian Development Bank, the Railways plan to take up the long-pending projects — construction of the Munger rail-cum-road bridge on the Ganga, doubling the Gooty-Pullampetta line on the Mumbai-Chennai route and gauge conversion of the Gandhidham-Palanpur rail in Gujarat.

The RRVY, cleared by the Union Cabinet recently, aims at strengthening the heavily-used "golden quadrilateral" network between the four metros, constructing four mega projects, increasing rail connectivity to ports and developing multi-modal corridors to the hinterland.

"Like the development of roads and highways, these projects would go a long way to strengthen, expand and modernise the rail network and connect them to the ports. Likewise, the Government is also stressing on development of the civil aviation sector," Mr. Vajpayee said after inaugurating the projects from his residence here.

In a lighter vein, he added: "it is only an accident that I am launching these projects a day after my birthday. It has nothing to do with my birthday, which was an accident. But at times, accidents also do some good and may be that is why the Railway Minister chose this day for the inauguration".

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