Though 2014 still seems to be far away, UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi sounded the poll bugle from her Lok Sabha constiuency in Rae Bereily on Wednesday after inaugurating the R2,500-crore modern rail coach manufacturing factory here on Wednesday.
Flagging off the 20 coaches produced in the factory, which would be used in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains, Gandhi said she was feeling elated on the occassion, more so since there had been a lot of opposition to the setting up of the factory during the previous Mayawati rgime.
Stating that some people had tried to spread rumours about the authenticity of the project, Gandhi said: ?When the rail coach factory project was launched here there were many people who were speading rumours about it and had termed it as a ?political gimmick?. But defying all hurdles, the project has seen the light of the day in such a short time. And I am extremely happy while inaugurating the same today.?
Stating that 1.5 crore passengers travel every day by railways, Gandhi said it is crucial for the country?s economy. ?It is also the biggest employer in which over 15 lakh employees work. And this is the third coach factory in the country,? Gandhi said.
She also handed over appointment letters to 14 people who had lost their land to the project. A total of 1,443 people had given their lands and the Railways have agreed to provide jobs to all of them.