Polls rumblings in ear, Lalu rushes key projects

Surabhi
Posted: 2008-07-05 00:07:53+05:30 IST
Updated: Jul 05, 2008 at 0007 hrs IST

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New Delhi, Jul 4: While the fate of the UPA government is yet to be decided, railway minister Lalu Prasad has begun wrapping up all major projects, especially his pet projects like rail factories, dedicated freight corridor and modernisation of the New Delhi station.

These projects, announced by Prasad, have been in limbo for most of his tenure since he took over in 2003 and is expected to cost over Rs 40,000 crore.

Prasad will soon lay the foundation stone of the joint venture company formed with the Kerala government to manufacture rail coaches.

Work on finalising the joint venture partner for the electric loco works factory at Madhepura, Prasad’s constituency, is also in full swing. The railway ministry has received nearly 10 bids from Indian, German and Japanese companies for the request for qualification (RFQ) it had floated and is in the process of short-listing the bidders.

Meanwhile, railway officials are trying to finalise the model and issue tenders for the coach factory in Rae Bareilly and the diesel loco factory in Chhapra, announced by Prasad over two years ago.

The railway ministry is also trying to get back on track the much-delayed dedicated freight corridor. While the funding for the western corridor has been finalised, the government is wooing the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for around Rs 15,000 crore for the eastern corridor. Prasad seems to be not keen to share the credit for any of these projects with his successor. “The minister would like to be remembered for these projects and wants the main chunk of work completed during his tenure,” official sources said.

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Polls rumblings in ear, Lalu rushes key projects

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