The Hindu Business Line : Plan for Rlys' modernisation gets PM's nod

THE Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, is believed to have given his nod to the Integrated Railways Modernisation Plan, 2005-10, setting in motion the likely contours of the Railway Budget 2005-06.

Resources for the implementation of the plan, involving an estimated cost of Rs 24,000 crore over a period of five years (2005-2010), have also been worked out.

The Railway Board, led by its Chairman, Mr R.K. Singh, have made a presentation on the modernisation plan at the Prime Minister's Office.

"The presentation sets in motion the likely shape of the Railways Budget, 2005-06, which is expected to witness an increased allocation in the annual plan size of Rs 14,498 crore by about Rs 5,000 crore," said an official source.

The modernisation plan, released by the Railway Minister, Mr Lalu Prasad, in November last year, has been worked out by the Railway Ministry in consultation with the Planning Commission.

A Railway Ministry official said the presentation formed part of the Government's commitment in the National Common Minimum Programme to improve all-round infrastructure development, including that of the Railways, by removing capacity bottlenecks to meet the challenges of the burgeoning demands for bulk traffic.

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