Railways to encourage PPP: Mamata

Bangalore, Dec 8 : Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today said her Ministry would encourage Public Private Partnership (PPP) in building railway network and infrastructure.

Speaking at a function to flag off three new trains here, she said the automobile industry had come forward to establish ten 'Automobile Hubs' in the country and permission for one such project in Howrah Division was granted.

Karnataka would also get two such hubs one each in Bangalore and Mangalore, she added.

She said the Indian Railways was ready to provide links to ports and coal belts if private investors came forward.

The Railways held 1.13 lakh acre of land and a part of this would be given for commercial use, she said, adding automobile industry had come forward to establish Auxiliary Units on the vacant land and the proposal was before the Ministry.

'Making availabile land and providing linkage to Port and Coal Belts would boost infrastructure development,' she said.

The Minister announced extension of Mumbai-Karwar Train up to Mangalore and Puducherry-Mysore Train up to Chamarajanagar with immediate effect.

She also announced running special trains during holidays for students.

In all, 2,872 special trains would be introduced and 4,326 additional coaches added to 1,562 trains running at present to help students reach their home town immediately after holidays and return without wasting time for non-availability of railway ticket, she said.

Ms Banerjee said during her discussion with Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa earlier in the day,she asked for details about pending proposals and projects that could be taken up under joint development and PPP so that the Ministry could take up the works in a speedy manner. The Chief Minister, in his address, announced increasing allocation for Railway projects to Rs 600 crore in next year's Budget from last year's Rs 240 crore.

He said feasibility report of railway projects in the State would be submitted in January.

The Chief Minister thanked the Railway Minister for extending free service for transport of relief materials to the flood affected North Karnataka Region.

Later, the Railway Minister flagged off Bangalore-Shimoga Inter-City Express, Yesvantpur-Mysore Express and Yesvantpur-Sholapur Gol Gumbaz Express.

She also inaugurated renovated Tumkur Railway and Dharmapuri Railway Station Buildings and introduced Solid State Interlocking at Bangalore City Railway Station.

--UNI