National
Bullet train foundation stone laid with eye to Gujarat polls: Congress (Lead)
New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) Questioning the economic viability of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, the Congress on Thursday said the foundation stone laying ceremony was timed ahead of the Gujarat elections, primarily to push projects just before the polls.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Thursday laid the foundation stone for India’s first 508-km high-speed rail project in Ahmedabad.
Instead of giving priority to safety measures in the railways, the Prime Minister was laying the foundation stone for the bullet train in Ahmedabad and not in Mumbai keeping in mind the upcoming assembly elections in the state, it said.
The party also said it was done to “mislead the people”.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said his party was not against any development project, “but the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project is not economically viable”.
“The air fare for Mumbai to Ahmedabad is Rs 2,000, and the bullet train fare would be between Rs 2,800 and Rs 5,000… Only if one lakh passengers travel in the train, the project will be economically viable,” said Kharge.
He added that Rs 60,000 crore was being spent on land acquisition and the estimated Rs 1,10,000 crore cost of the project could further escalate by the time it was implemented.
Kharge said: “We have seen 19 major (railway) accidents in the past one year and Rs 1.1 lakh crore is required for rail safety. But this government has allocated only 5 per cent of that amount so far.
“The government earned Rs 175,000 crore profit from petrol and diesel excise duties. They can give at least Rs 40,000 crore from that profit for railway safety measures,” he added.
The Congress leader said there were three lakh vancancies in the Indian Railways of which there were 1,42,000 vacancies on the safety side, which needed to be filled first.
The party also slammed the government for having 12 halts for the 500-km Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, saying even Rajdhani Express did not have so many stops for a similar distance and “it was done just to mislead the people”.
“Even before the train picks up speed, it will halt at the next stop. Most of the stops are in Gujarat and there are stops in places which have a population of just 36,000,” said Congress spokesperson R.P.N. Singh.
“The UPA government had signed an agreement with Japan in 2013. This was a $7 billion contract envisaged under the Delhi-Mumbai Economic Corridor that would have also led to the introduction of bullet trains.
“It is a matter of deep concern that while the Prime Minister once again adopted a UPA project, it took him 3.5 years to come to this stage of laying a foundation stone, only to ensure that it is timed with the Gujarat election,” he added.
Singh also said: “At this rate it will take years and years to complete since basics like land acquisition, intricate details are yet to be completed.”
“The government has completely abdicated its responsibility towards safety to the crores of rail passengers who travel daily on trains. At least 259 passengers have been killed and 973 injured in 29 major railway accidents since the Modi government took office,” he added.
Kharge also listed four high-speed train projects the UPA government had been planning since 2005 — Chennai-Bangalore-Mumbai, Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Delhi, Ludhiana-Amritsar-Kolkata and Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Pune via Thane trains.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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