Concerned over the slow progress of rail network in the remote and backward areas, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday announced an ambitious Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) "Remote Area Rail Sampark Yojana" to expeditiously complete the employment generating projects for these regions.
The execution of the projects for the remote regions would provide employment opportunities to 300,000 people every year during the construction period, Kumar said while presenting the Interim Railway Budget.
Stating that Railways have a large shelf of over 230 projects worth about Rs 43,000 crore (Rs 430 billion), Kumar said there were projects valued at Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) for the remote areas that would remain unfinished even after the next five years.
With a view to speed up the execution and completion of these projects within the next five years, the Railways has proposed the "Remote Area Rail Sampark Yojana" with an additional outlay of Rs 20,000 crore, the minister said.
Kumar said a large number of these projects had been sanctioned on socio-economic considerations with the intention of connecting remote and backward areas with the rail network.
"However, their progress is very slow on account of inadequate funding, which causes dissatisfaction," he said adding, connecting these areas with the rail network will facilitate the economic and social development of these areas and will provide major employment opportunities during construction and thereafter.
Kumar said the 230 projects included construction of new lines, gauge conversion, electrification and metropolitan transport projects.