Freight Corridor foundation

The infrastructure of Indian Railways achieved a major boost when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (Eastern) Project at Ludhiana today.

The prime minister also inaugurated the new railway line between Chandigarh and Morinda by the remote flagging off of a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) service 1CNA special, from Chandigarh to Churaru Takrala via Morinda and flagged off, also by remote a new train, the 2054/2053 Amritsar "� Haridwar Jan Shatabdi Express from Amritsar. This train will run on all days of the week but for Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, Manmohan Singh said the creation of the Dedicated Freight Corridor would enhance the development in the State of Punjab and the country.

He stated that the new Amritsar-Haridwar Janshatabdi would bring the river Ganga closer to the city of Amritsar and the new railway line between Chandigarh and Morinda would fill an important requirement of the people of that area.

Union Minister for Railways, Laloo Prasad Yadav while speaking on the occasion said that the Prime Minister would inaugurate the Western Project of the Dedicated Freight Corridor from Mumbai shortly.

He announced the completion as well as the commencing of several projects i.e. that the first Garib Rath Express is likely to be flagged off from Saharsa on October 4, the new Udhampur "� Katra Railway line will be inaugurated in March 2007, a Computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) Centre has been made operational today at Mohali, and an Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Dhappar had also become operational.

He announced that the new Railway line from Tarn Taran to Goindwal was also in the pipeline.

He said that 57 kms of the doubling of the Railway line on the Jalandhar - Pathankot "� Jammu Tawi Section was completed, while work was in progress for the speedy completion of the remaining portion of this railway line and that of the Chandigarh-Ludhiana railway line, of which the first phase, the Chandigarh "�Morinda railway line was inaugurated today.

He also announced a bonus of 65 days to Railway employees which is the highest ever bonus awarded, against the previous highest of 59 days.

Minister of State for Railways Naranbhai J. Rathwa read out a message from Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) who hoped that the fully computerised DFC would set the Indian Railways on the path of becoming one of the world-class railways. She congratulated the Railway Minister and sent her good wishes for the success of the new DFCs.

Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amrinder Singh today strongly urged the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to immediately announce an attractive financial package to bail out our small and marginal farmers from the rural indebtedness who were under great distress. Capt. Singh categorically said that the Punjab Government would not acquire any land or allow any private promoter for setting up a SEZ below its market price.

He also said that the State Government had not acquired any land so far below the market price.

He said that he had even asked the state Government to revise the rates of land in accordance with current market price to be acquired even in such cases where the Punjab & Haryana High Court had allowed the state government for acquisition.