Railway Minister Mukul Roy today admitted that there was delay in execution of certain big ticket rail projects over the last eight months but said there was no shortage of funds.
Roy's predecessor Dinesh Trivedi, who was at the helm at that time, had proposed hike in passenger fares and freight rates in the Rail Budget citing financial crunch and was removed as Railway Minister at the behest of his party Trinamool Congress.
"There was delay in execution of certain rail projects. The pace of the execution was slow in the last eight-nine months," Roy said here.
When asked about the progress in locomotive projects in Bihar and Kanchrapara EMU project in West Bengal, Roy said, "There was not shortage of funds. There is a need to speed up the work."
While a diesel locomotive factory is coming up in Marhora, an electric locomotive manufacturing unit will come up at Madhepura in Bihar. Both the multi-crore projects are to be executed in public private partnership.
"I have already undertaken a stock-taking exercise of all important projects," Roy said, adding "the work on Kanchrapara EMU project will also be expedited".
When asked about the fate of Rae Bareli coach factory, the Railway Minister said the factory has already manufactured 10 modern coaches which will be rolled out soon.
On high-speed rail corridor, Roy said railways will constitute a dedicated authority to execute the project and a cabinet note to this effect will be prepared soon.
