UPA govt left 450 railway projects incomplete: Goyal

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal today claimed that as many as 450 railway projects were incomplete across the country when the NDA government came to power in 2014.

"When Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government took charge, we found that 450 railway projects were incomplete and some of them were facing budget constraints," Goyal said, speaking to reporters here.

He also alleged that the UPA government did a gross injustice to Madhya Pradesh in awarding railway projects.

Today projects worth Rs 63,000 crore are underway in the state, Goyal said.

Between 2009-2014, only Rs 3,200 crore were allocated for railway projects in the state, while during the Modi government's tenure, the investment in railway projects in Madhya Pradesh has increased seven-fold at Rs 21,000 crore, he said.

For 2018-19, a provision of Rs 6,300 crore will be made for projects in the state, the railway minister said.

Goyal earlier attended various programmes including foundation laying for doubling of Indore-Dewas-Ujjain rail section.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union Minister for Social Justice Thawar Chand Gehlot and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were present on the occasion.

During a programme at Indore railway station, Mahajan, who is also a local MP, expressed strong displeasure over slow pace of gauge conversion work on Indore-Khandwa section and the Indore-Dahod rail line project.

"I wish to see both these projects getting completed during my lifetime," Mahajan said in Goyal's presence.

Later, Goyal said his ministry was committed to complete these projects as soon as possible.