100-day limit to clear PPP plans
New Delhi, Feb. 24: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her ministry is setting up a task force to clear proposals from the private sector through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode within 100 days.
"Sometimes they (business community) have problems. They are keen to invest, but their proposals are unduly delayed by a typical negative approach," she said, adding that the Railways needed to develop a business culture to attract "private investment" and the matter would be discuss at the highest level.
"I will discuss with the Prime Minister, finance ministry and Planning Commission regarding early clearance of projects," she said.
Ms Banerjee announced "a special task force to clear proposals for investments within 100 days". Stressing the need for "new business models", Ms Banerjee said: "We are inviting domestic investment through PPP mode in areas like new lines, world-class stations, auto hubs and high-speed train corridors."
The minister said domestic investors had tremendous scope in the Railways, and "will be our hope in the future". But she also clarified: "I would like to assure my railway family that we are not going in for privatisation of the Railways. It will remain a government organisation."
The minister announced that 10 stations — Ambala Cantt, Bolpur, Ernakulam, Gorakhpur, Jammu, Jhansi, Kharagpur, Kota, Surat and Thane — would be converted into world-class platforms.
The airspace over stations in large cities will be leveraged to build multi-level parking complexes through the PPP route. "A few pilot projects will be taken up during the year," the minister added.
To provide drinking water, the Budget proposes to start six bottling plants in Ambala, Amethi, Mal, Nashik, Farakka and Thiruvananthapuram through the PPP route with the mandate that bottled fresh water "will be provided at stations at much cheaper rates".
Ms Banerjee also announced setting up a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) factory in JV/PPP mode at Sankrail, West Bengal, and five state-of-the-art wagon factories in collaboration with the private sector at Secunderabad, Burdwan, Bhubaneshwar/Kalahandi, Guwahati and Haldia.
Age Correspondent
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