Railways seeks info on money spent for inaugural functions in state

Within two weeks of the Trinamool giving up the railway ministry, the latter has sought details of the expenditure on the inaugural functions of railway projects in West Bengal since April 2010. Subhendu Maiti reports.

Within two weeks of the Trinamool giving up the railway ministry, the latter has sought details of the expenditure on the inaugural functions of railway projects in West Bengal since April 2010.

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That was the time when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and her two party colleagues were ministers.

Last week the Railway Board sent letters to the South-Eastern Railways (SER) and Eastern Railways (ER), both headquartered in Kolkata, directing top commercial section officials to submit a report detailing the expenditure on foundation stone-laying programmes and flagging off of trains.The Railway Board wants to know how much was spent on setting up the stages, loudspeakers, food packets, singers, etc.

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“We have started the process of obtaining detailed reports on expenditure made during foundation stone-laying and flagging off functions of different projects since April 2010 in West Bengal. We have directed our divisions in Kharagpore and Adra in this regard,” SP Ghosh, deputy chief commercial manager (passengers marketing), SER, told HT.

Between them, the three railway ministers started more than 130 railway projects, coming under both the SER and ER.

The trend peaked before the assembly polls in 2011. Banerjee herself inaugurated or flagged off 104 projects in the state from April to September in 2010.

Sixteen rail projects, worth about Rs. 40,000 crore, were announced for West Bengal during the period.