Railways To Layout A Roadmap For Execution Of 50-70 Mega Projects In 60-Days: MoS Railways

The Ministry of Railways is in the midst completing an exercise for preparing an exhaustive roadmap for execution of between 50-70 mega railways projects in the next five years through PPP model for which necessary consultation process would be finalized in next 60-days, says Minister of State for Railways, Manoj Sinha.

Addressing a PHD Rail Infrastructure Summit-2014 under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Sinha further unveiled that the identified projects would be shortly put on the website of the Ministry of Railways with all details and deadlines for their commissioning as also attract wider participation of investors for their timely execution.

The Minister elaborated that the consultation process has already had the participation of top polity of the present dispensation including its railways Minister Dr. Suresh Prabhu, Railway Board Chairman and host of other such personalities and even asked industry associations like PHD Chamber to make its contribution and provide suggestions so that the projects would be industry friendly.

The future successive budget of the railways would be prepared to serve the government's intention of executing mega railways projects under its five years agenda plan as being pushed in the consultation processes so that their executions were not delayed at any cost and cost escalations arising out of normal delays in such projects prevented for good, categorically stated the Minister.

The Minister explained that the new government under Prime Minister Modi was committed to revive the PPP mode projects to uplift the face of railways to meet modern requirements even though such projects could not be implemented in the previous dispensation because the new government has the political will to revive such projects under PPP mode so that all stakeholders are roped in for railways development.

Railway Board Chairman, Arunendra Kumar in his address said that the future focus of railways infrastructure projects would be through PPP mode but in addition to it the railways would put up non-conventional related energy projects in the wind and solar sector to feed railways with its own power plants and drastically reduce its energy bill which currently ranges between Rs.35,000 crores to Rs.38,000 crores per annum. States such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh were in talks with railways for execution of such projects.

Chairman High Speed Rail Corporation of India and CMD Rail Vikas Nigam, Satish Chandra Agnihotri in his remarks observed that the new government had prepared to lay a railways line between Rishikesh and Karnprayag in Uttarakhand to connect the holy shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath to mainstream railways.

In his welcome remarks the President, PHD Chamber Sharad Jaipuria said, at present Indian Railways are taking many new initiatives led by the new government at the centre: like faster decision making, clearances and a better policy environment for global and domestic corporates.

Sr. Vice President of the Chamber Alok B Shriram also said that the initiatives taken by railways for its development and modernization were opportunities that should be given a huge push.

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