₹10,376 cr earmarked for railways in NER
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 24 2024:
In a virtual press conference, railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed the media from the North Eastern Region (NER) to elaborate on the key announcements made in the Railway Budget 2024-25.In the briefing, the minister provided clarity and insights into the budget allocations and initiatives to transform the Indian Railways and empower the Northeast Frontier Railways.
During the conference, the minister underscored the government's commitment to modernising the rail network and accelerating the expansion of railway tracks in the North Eastern Region, in alignment with the Act East Policy.
He responded to media queries, offering additional details on various aspects of the budget, including infrastructure development and passenger safety measures.
The minister expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Union Finance Minister for the record allocation of Rs 2,62,200 crore as capital expenditure for Railways and also pointed out that Rs 10,376 crore have been earmarked for the NER in the fiscal year 2024-25, a fivefold increase from the annual average budget outlay during 2009-2014 .
Additionally, Rs 74,972 crore have been allocated for 18 ongoing projects involving new tracks spanning 1,368 kilometres.
Key highlights for the NER railway budget in 2024-25 include an increased budget outlay of Rs 10,376 crore.
The region saw an average of 173 kilometres of new tracks laid per year during the 2014-2024 period, compared to only 67 kilometres per year during 2009-2014.Electrification of tracks also saw significant progress, with 142 kilometres electrified per year on average from 2014-2024, compared to none during 2009-2014 .
The development of 60 stations as Amrit Stations was also emphasised by the minister, stating that in Arunachal Pradesh, Naharlagun (Itanagar) was designated, while in Assam, 50 stations including Guwahati, Silchar, and Dibrugarh were listed.
Other states such as Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura are also included in the project, he said.
Since 2014, the construction of 470 rail flyovers and under-bridges has been completed.
The Minister emphasised the government's focus on making Indian Railways a world-class transportation network, promoting economic growth and job creation.
Following the minister's address, GM for Northeast Frontier Railway Chetan Shrivastava highlighted that adequate funds have been allocated for all infrastructure and safety-related works.
He announced that electrification of 921 Route Kilometres (RKM) was completed during 2023-24, with 1,573 RKM of tracks targeted for electrification during 2024-25, aiming to complete the electrification of all north eastern states.
Rs 694.69 crore have been allocated for electrification works over NF Railway, he said.
The budget allocation for this year shows unprecedented growth in several segments for NF Railway, with around Rs 8,378.53 crore allocated for new line and doubling projects.
Prioritising safety and operations, Rs 1,305.07 crore have been allocated for track renewal and bridge works, and Rs 170 crore for signalling and telecom works.
Additionally, Rs 537 crore have been allocated to improve passenger amenities in station premises.
(With inputs from PIB) .
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