Railways will bring industrial boom in the country: Mamata

KOLKATA - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday said the railways will usher in an industrial boom in the country as her ministry is to set up 20 new industries in the next one year.

“We will set up 20 more heavy industries like wagon factories in underdeveloped areas of the country like Kalahandi in Orrisa, in Telangana (in Andhra Pradesh) and in Junglemahal (Maoists affected area),” said Banerjee, while addressing a function to commence the work for the Dedicated Eastern freight Corridor at Dankuni.

She also urged the industrialists to come and join hands with the railways and make new initiatives in private-public-partnership mode.

“Railways have land and we want investment. If you come, it will not be a problem. We have business and package ready in our hands,” said Banerjee.

“Recently, we have changed our policy and made IT industrialist friendly. So if any person is interested, he will not have to invest a single paisa on survey or for preparing project reports. We have railway engineers and the investor will have his share on his investment,” said Banerjee.

She said the Eastern Corridor will connect Ludhiana to Sonnagar via Ambala, Saharanpur, Khurja, Shahjahanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Mughalsarai and Dankuni near Kolkata where there will be a new freight terminal.

“Eastern Freight Corridor will usher in a new era in industrialisation and Dankuni will be turned into an industrial town in future as two industries and a professional training institute will come up in the area,” said the railway minister.