PM inaugurates new railway line from Hazaribag to Koderma
PM: Government working towards modernization and improved service delivery in the Indian Railways
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today said the Government was working towards modernization and improved service delivery in the Indian Railways. He was speaking on the occasion of the dedication to the nation of Koderma-Hazaribag Railway Line, and the flagging off of DEMU train service between Hazaribag and Koderma.
The Prime Minister thanked the farmers who had given land for this project, and said they had made a huge contribution for future generations. He said the railways were not just a means of transport, but could become the backbone of the Indian economy.
The Prime Minister said Jharkhand should focus on rail and road connectivity for its mineral wealth, in order to boost its prosperity. He urged the people of Jharkhand to provide full support to the construction of railways and roads in the state.
The Prime Minister referred to the Supreme Court`s decision in September 2014 cancelling allocation of 204 coal blocks. He also referred to the CAG`s observations in this regard. He said 40 of these blocks are in Jharkhand.
The Prime Minister said within four months of the Supreme Court`s decision, auction of coal blocks had begun. He said the auction of 15 coal blocks so far had yielded Rs. 75,000 crore.
The Prime Minister reiterated his commitment that he would not tolerate corruption. He said the poor need to be provided with opportunities to defeat poverty.
The Governor of Jharkhand Shri Syed Ahmed, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand Shri Raghubar Das, the Union Minister for Railways Shri Suresh Prabhu, the Union MoS for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha, the Union MoS for Rural Development Shri Sudarshan Bhagat and the Union MoS for Finance Shri Jayant Sinha were present on the occasion.
