National
Railways get largest-ever allocation of Rs 1.48 lakh crore (Lead)
New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) Stressing on boosting the safety aspect of Railways and its carrying capacity, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced the largest-ever allocation of Rs 1.48 lakh crore capital expenditure for the Indian Railways in 2018-19.
“Railways capex for 2018-19 has been pegged at Rs 1,48,528 crore,” Jaitley said in his Budget speech. The amount is Rs 17,000 crore higher than the previous year’s budget.
In 2017-18 Union Budget, the total capex of Railways was pegged at Rs 1,31,000 crore.
Jaitley said that modern-train sets with state-of-the-art amenities and features would be commissioned during 2018-19.
The 92-year-old practice of a separate Railway Budget was discontinued from last year and was merged with the Union Budget.
The Finance Minister said that enhancing the carrying capacity has been a major focus of the government. “A large part of the capex is devoted to railways capacity creation,” he said.
“Doubling of 18,000 km and work on 5,000 km of third and fourth lines to convert them into broad gauge will eliminate capacity constraint. It will also transform almost the entire network into broad gauge,” Jaitley said.
“There has also been significant improvement in the achievement of physical targets by railways. We are moving fast towards optimal electrification of railway network. About 4,000 km are targeted for commissioning during 2017-18,” he said.
The Finance Minister said that work on the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors was also in full swing.
He said that 12,000 wagons, 5,160 coaches and 700 locomotives are being procured in the year 2018-19.
He said that a major programme has been initiated to strengthen infrastructure at the goods sheds and fast track commissioning of private sidings.
“A ‘safety first’ policy, with allocation of adequate funds under Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh is the cornerstone of Railways’ focus on safety,” he said, adding, “Maintenance of track infrastructure is being given special attention.”
“Over 3,600 kms of track renewal is targeted during the current fiscal. Other major steps include increasing use of technology like Fog Safe and Train Protection and Warning System.”
He said that a decision has been taken to eliminate 4,267 unmanned level crossings in the broad gauge network in the next two years.
The Finance Minister said that redevelopment of 600 major railway stations is being taken up by Indian Railway Station Development Corporation Limited. “All stations with more than 25,000 footfalls will have escalators. All railway stations and trains will be progressively provided with wifi,” he said.
The government will also install CCTVs at all stations and on trains to enhance security of passengers.
“Modern train-sets with state-of-the-art amenities and features are being designed at Integrated Coach Factory, Perambur. And first such train-set will be commissioned during 2018-19,” Jaitley said.
Speaking about the 508 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project, Jaitley said, “Foundation for the bullet train project, country’s first high speed rail project, was laid on September 14, 2017.
“An Institute is coming up at Vadodara (Gujarat) to train manpower required for high speed rail projects,” the Finance Minister added.
–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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