New Delhi: Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has prepared a blueprint of his action plan for rejuvenating the country`s largest public transporter to be presented at Thursday`s meeting of the Union Council of Ministers.
The blueprint consists of some big ticket rail projects and reforms to be taken up in the coming days to boost the finances of the Railways.
The Prime Minister has called a crucial meeting of the entire Council of Ministers tomorrow to set the agenda for his new team for the less than two-year period that remains before the next general elections slated for mid-2014.
Cash-strapped Railways is passing through a critical phase with many of its ongoing projects facing fund curtailment.
Bansal was briefed about the status of the proposed projects like locomotive factories at Madhepura and Marhora in Bihar and other important rail projects, Railway sources said.
There are many challenges ahead given the Railways` financial condition. Bansal has to concretise the action plan for the coming years.
With the change of guard in Rail Bhawan, it is expected that Railways will pursue reforms with great zeal. Tomorrow`s meeting is crucial for Railways as the Prime Minister would set the agenda to sustain the reforms in the national transporter.
Railways is also keen to push high speed rail projects in public-private partnership (PPP) model. There are seven corridors being identified across the country for undertaking a feasibility study.
Besides there are several ongoing rail expansion projects, steps to meet freight target, preventing accidents, improving passenger amenities among others are also being shortlisted in the action plan.
Besides the Prime Minister, Finance Minister P Chidambaram will address the meeting.
PTI
