Centre to invest more in Bengal rail projects: Prabhu

Appreciating the co-operation extended by the West Bengal government in carrying out various projects of the Railways, Suresh Prabhu the Railway minister said that the share of investment to develop infrastructure in the state would continue to increase.

Prabhu attended several programmes, including inauguration of a set of Railway projects at Howrah Station before attending a meeting with the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nabanna on Thursday. 

After the meeting both Prabhu and Banerjee met media persons in Nabanna where the Railway Minister said that the matter of infrastructure development in West Bengal was also discussed when he came to the city during the Bengal Global Business Summit.

“We discussed issues like the scope of developing more infrastructure during the meeting with the Chief Minister. We have started increasing the share of investment for West Bengal to develop infrastructure over a period of the last few years and will continue to take the idea forward,” he said.

Stressing on the need for greater synergy between the Centre and state government on development and re-development of many projects, Prabhu said more projects would be rolled out in the state to develop Railway infrastructure. He said that Eastern Railway was among the first to remove each and every unmanned level crossing and others needed to follow suit.

Listing the projects that have been implemented in the past few years and those that were in the pipeline, Prabhu said that 63 different projects were underway in West Bengal and directions have been given to expedite the work for completion of the projects. Steps have also been taken to lay more railway tracks and doubling of tracks. 

A sizeable amount was also sanctioned in the budget for construction of an over-bridge in the state. He said that West Bengal was one of the most important states in the country.

On Thursday, Prabhu inaugurated several projects of the South Eastern Railway and laid the foundation stone for “second entry and space frame over main entry” at Bokaro Steel City station. 

The projects of Eastern Railway that were inaugurated on Thursday include a foot over-bridge at Agarpara and doubling of tracks between Plassey and Beldanga stations, a bogie manufacturing factory at Budge Budge and a new line between Arambagh and Goghat. He also laid foundation stone of the Vivekananda Meditation Centre at Howrah.