The Hindu Business Line : PM lays stress on balanced growth

The national road link project would go a long way in smoothening the process of economic progress and result in saving huge fuel cost to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore annually.

HUBLI, Feb. 15

THE Prime Minister, Mr A.B.Vajpayee, has called for a consensual approach to solving national problems and said ``we have to catch up with lost time in achieving a balanced economic growth''.

Speaking at a function here, Mr Vajpayee said the NDA Government was committed to developing infrastructure in concerted effort with the state governments. He was speaking after laying the foundation of the Headquarters building of the newly formed South Western Railway. The occasion coincided with the announcement of revised notification including Guntakal-Bellary and Hospet-Bellary Sections in the new Railway Zone. Earlier, it had comprised only Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli divisions.

In his speech marked by optimism in resolving major problems such as linking of rivers, completing the Golden Quadrilateral roads project on time, Mr Vajpayee also said the Railways would get equal attention to remove regional imbalances on economic front.

He said it was imperative that the States extended their co-operation by sinking their differences in finding solutions to national problem. The national road link project would go a long way in smoothening the process of economic progress and result in saving huge fuel cost to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore annually. It should help the country at a time when international tension was likely to affect oil supply, he added.

Earlier, the Railway Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar stressed the need for speedier implementation of pending railway projects and said the Central Government would extend all help in realising this objective. He also assured that Karnataka would be provided with Rs 1,700 crore over six years for modernising the railway system in the sections falling under the Railway Zone.

The Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr S.M. Krishna, sought the assurance from the Railway Minister for time-bound completion of projects in the State. Mr Krishna also promised to provide 100 acres of land to the Railways to relocate its goods shed, which was causing serious congestion, being situated in the midst of the city.

South Western Railway, which has been carver out of major divisions of Southern and South Central Railway, would imbibe the legacy of a high revenue potential zone with these divisions having recorded the third highest freight loading of 60.40 million tonnes during 2001-02 on Indian Railways.

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