Dec 26 2014 : The Times of India (Chennai)
No privatisation, only pvt funds for rlys: PM
Rajeev Dikshit
Varanasi
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more...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday ruled out privatising the railways and asserted that his aim was to ensure growth and modernisation of the state-run transporter through private INVESTMENT, and not public funds.
He said public funds, which are property of the poor, should be used to fulfil their basic needs, including health and education.
Modi, who was in Varanasi to oversee the progress of several projects being undertaken in his constituency , linked the railways to his `Make in India' campaign. He said the railways would never be privatized and termed reports in this regard complete ru mours. The nod to FDI for segments in railways had triggered apprehension that the government would privatize the state-run transport giant. “Railway is my love and its employees are my family ,“ Modi said in Varanasi, where he arrived earlier in the day to observe `Good Governance Day'.
He said private INVESTMENT would be used to modernize railways and make it service-oriented. Modi said opening of four railways' universities was part of his plans to modernize the sector. “Railways would emerge as a platform to generate employment for youth,'' he said.
The PM added that railways' resources were going to be utilised for skill development programmes.“Skill development centres are being proposed at small railway stations that would to be connected with railway universities,'' he said.
Modi was speaking at Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) after flagging off a high capacity locomotive. He later inaugurated a project for the expansion of DLW.
Meanwhile, he reviewed at Assi Ghat the progress of the cleanliness drive which he had launched on November 8. He nominated ex-IPS officer Kiran Bedi, classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, comedian Kapil Sharma, media baron Ramoji Rao, journalist Aroon Purie and Mumbai dabbawalas among others for his `Clean India' campaign.
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