'Atal ji's dream for Chhattisgarh fulfilled by Raman Singh'

Union Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal lauded Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for the development of the state, and said that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's dream of developing Chhattisgarh was fulfilled under his leadership.

"Atal ji had a dream for Chhattisgarh, he wanted a Chhattisgarh inspired by development, which worries about the poor and sees a bright future for every section of the society. Prime Minister Modi, too, while assuming office, had told all of us that if India needs to be transformed into a superpower, development of Eastern and North-Eastern states is essential. It is a matter of pride for all of us that Raman Singh ji has fulfilled that dream under his leadership," Goyal said while addressing a rally here on Monday, as part of Singh's 'Atal Vikas Yatra'.

Highlighting the development witnessed in the railways, Goyal said a total investment of Rs. 16,000 crore has been chalked out for the development of railways in Chhattisgarh, adding that investment worth Rs. 10,000 crore has already been made.

"During 2009-14, around Rs. 1,500 crore investment was made for railways in Chhattisgarh. However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, that amount reached Rs. 16,000 crore. Significant progress has been made in Chhattisgarh in the last four years. A subsequent progress has also been made in the mining sector here," he noted.

Singh and Goyal, on the occasion, laid foundation stones of four railway line projects worth Rs 9,952 crore in the state.

The Railway Minister said the new 258 kilometer-long railway project from Kataghora to Dogragadh will help connect those areas in Chhattisgarh which were so far deprived of rail facilities. He further noted that the Chiramiri-Nagpur line, which was stalled for several years, will also help improve connectivity to and from remote areas of the state.

He also reviewed the operation of the South East Central Railway's Raipur Division during his visit.

Chhattisgarh is scheduled to go to polls later this year with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Mizoram.