Efforts should be made to end atmosphere of violence in Bengal: Goyal

Describing the recent bomb attack on a Bengal minister at a railway station as unfortunate, Union minister Piyush Goyal on Friday called for an end to the "atmosphere of violence" in the state.

Minister of State for Labour Jakir Hossain was injured after unidentified attackers hurled a crude bomb at Nimtita railway station in Murshidabad district on Wednesday night.

"I hope that attempts will be made to put an end to the atmosphere of violence so that the people of West Bengal can live in peace, and the state moves forward in the path of development," Goyal, the Union Railway Minister, said.

Inaugurating a number of projects of South Eastern and Eastern Railways in the state through video conferencing, he said people of West Bengal want progress and industrial growth.

"We will have to work together to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the state," he said.

The minister launched the first phase of a freight terminal at Sankrail of SER at a cost of Rs 139 crore, and said a warehouse will also come up at the terminal, which has eight lines for easy and fast movement of goods.

He threw open to the public a 12-metre wide second footbridge at Santragachi, constructed at a cost of Rs 20 crore, to facilitate movement and dispersal of passengers at the busy station.

Goyal also inaugurated an executive lounge and other facilities for passengers at the Sealdah station of ER.

The minister said by December 2023, the whole network of Indian Railways will be operational through electric traction.

In the next phase, by 2030, only renewable energy will be used in the Railways, causing zero pollution, he said.

Goyal added that signalling systems are being developed indigenously to dispense with dependence on imports.