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Will Modi govt hike rail fares amid station revamp? Railway minister says...
The union minister informed that around 9,000 engineers will be a part of the station redevelopment project.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the re-development of 508 railway stations across the country, union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified that there will be “no hike” in the fares in the name of stations' re-development project.
Addressing a press conference, Vaishaw said, “PM Modi is working to elevate the lives of the common people. The aim of station redevelopment is the same. We want them to have world-class stations without any burden. We have not increased fare or fixed a fee in the name of station redevelopment.”
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The union minister informed that around 9,000 engineers will be a part of the station redevelopment project.
“There has been no discrimination against any state for this project. Over the next two years, we will be able to see substantial progress in the work. We believe in equitable development. Modiji has always said that we will lay the foundation stone of the project and we will inaugurate it too, explaining the speed at which we need to complete the project,” he said.
PM Modi laid foundation stone for re-development of railway stations
PM Modi on Sunday virtually laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations across India as part of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. The project is estimated to cost ₹24,470 crore.
The 508 stations are spread across 16 states and Union Territories, including 55 each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, 49 in Bihar, 44 in Maharashtra, 37 in West Bengal, 34 in Madhya Pradesh, 32 in Assam, 25 in Odisha, 22 in Punjab, 21 each in Gujarat and Telangana, 20 in Jharkhand, 18 each in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, 15 in Haryana and 13 in Karnataka.
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Speaking after the foundation laying ceremony, PM Modi said that the government is “working to make the rail journey accessible as well as pleasant”.
“Upgraded stations will not only increase tourism but will also give a push to economic activities in the nearby areas,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
