E-Paper
'Misleading': Railways clarifies report on cancellation of trains from March 31
Initiating the debate on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Railways, Yadav said the Indian Railways has been completely changed into a dynamic development-oriented organisation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last several years.
The Railway Ministry on Monday rubbished reports that appeared on social media that Railways is going to cancel its trains which are currently operational from March 31, 2021 is misleading and not based on facts.
"Wrong news clips are being circulated in social media. All may please be informed that the video being circulated is last year's news being peddled today," the Railway Ministry said.
The ministry in a statement said, "It may be noted that express trains and suburban trains currently operational as special trains will continue to run. It is also requested that the passengers may follow covid protocol while travelling."
Meanwhile, the Indian Railways has rendered yeoman service during the coronavirus pandemic by transporting 43 lakh migrant labourers, distributing two crore free food packets and making available several hundred coaches to be used as healthcare centres, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ram Kripal Yadav said earlier in the day.
Initiating the debate on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Railways, Yadav said the Indian Railways has been completely changed into a dynamic development-oriented organisation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past several years.
He said that during the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), the railways has offered over 200 coaches to be used as healthcare centres, 43 lakh migrant labours were transported through hundreds of special trains, two crore free food packets were distributed while 55,000 litres of drinking water have also been given to the poor.
Criticising the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for announcing many railway projects, he said that everything has changed after the Modi government came to power and every decision is taken in the interest of the nation.
He said 513 projects worth ₹1.83 lakh crore have been completed during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government while "annual expenditure on new projects has gone up to ₹45,000 crore in 2020-21 from a mere ₹11,527 crore in 2009-10".
He said priority has been given to northeastern states and states like West Bengal and Kerala, ruled by opposition parties. "There has been no discrimination against any state during the Modi government," he added.
Referring to the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli, he said it was established during the UPA rule but "had not produced even a single railway coach till the NDA government came." Since the NDA government came to power, production has started and so far 1,500 coaches have been built and some of them exported abroad, he added.
(With iinputs from agencies)
