Rlys Not To Follow World Bank Dictats: Paswan

Railway minister Ram Vilas Paswan yesterday said in the Lok Sabha that the government would not succumb to pressure from the World Bank for sanction of loans for rail projects.

Replying to a debate on the demands for grants of his ministry, Paswan said, We will not run the Railways as per whims and fancies of the World Bank.

He was responding to criticism levelled by Opposition members that the proposed Rs 3,500 crore World Bank assistance for the Mumbai urban transport project was not cleared due to negligence on part of the Railways.

The ball is in their (World Banks) court and they have to take a decision, Paswan said, asserting that the government would not yield to unnecessary conditions stipulated by the international financial institution.

The railway minister expressed reservation over the view taken by the standing committee that rail projects which had not secured the approval of the Planning Commission, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and the expanded board had been included in the budget.

If this process was adopted, the number of projects getting clearance would be limited, he said.