Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Saturday underlined the potential of Chhattisgarh to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign a huge success.
“If we want to make the Prime Minister's initiative of Make in India a success, we need steel, iron ore, coal and other resources and these are in abundance in Chhattisgarh,’’ he said while speaking at a function at Raipur railway station just after inaugurating various passenger amenities for stations coming under the South East Central Railway (SECR).
He added, Rs Rs we have to develop Chhattisgarh for making 'Make in India' a success. Transportation of minerals will benefit both the state and the railways. Besides, it will also create job opportunities for the youth,’’.
The Union Minister further stated that expansion of rail network in states would play a key role in country’s growth. He also asserted that the Centre and the states need to work together for this purpose.
“Prime Minister wants speedy development of the country. For this purpose, we have decided to boost rail network. Development of rail would lead to the development of the country,’’ the minister observed. “Unless the Centre and the states will not work hand-in-hand, it will not be possible’’, he pointed out.
Presently rail projects worth around Rs 24,000 crore are underway in Chhattisgarh and in future many other major projects will be launched in the state which is rich in mineral resources.
An amount of Rs 3,676 crore will be invested in the financial year 2017-18 for rail projects in Chhattisgarh.
Seven railway stations in the state will be revamped in such a way that they will have better facilities than airports, claimed the Railway Minister. These stations will be revamped into iconic structures and will have better passenger amenities, he added.