



New Delhi: Apparently intending to match her predecessor Lalu Prasad, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has ensured that her home state of West Bengal gets more benefits from this year's railway budget, even promising to upgrade a non-existing station at trouble-torn Lalgarh.
"Lalgarh Junction" was mentioned in the budget speech as one of the 309 stations to be upgraded as 'adarsh' stations with all basic facilities. However, railway officials, when contacted, said there was no station or halt at Lalgarh.
When asked about Lalgarh, Banerjee maintained that its neighbouring areas like Midnapore and Bankura stations are to be developed.
Out of the 309 stations identified to be developed as 'adarsh' (model) stations, at least 142 were in West Bengal.
Banerjee also promised to set up a 1,000 MW power plant at Adra in Purulia district of West Bengal and a new factory at Kanchrapara-Halishahar Railway complex with an annual capacity of 500 coaches in joint venture mode.
She also promised considering takeover of coach manufacturing units Burn Standard and Braithwaite, both in Bengal and a setting up of a nursing college on railway land in Kolkata.
The minister extended several other infrastructure projects to the state like development of Eastern Industrial Corridor alongside Eastern Freight Corridor.
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