HYDERABAD: The Union government has allocated Rs 5,071 crore for railway projects in Telangana for 2024–25, in the Interim Budget, which includes the allocations to Railways, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Thursday. There has been a consistent increase in the funds allocation to Telangana in successive Budgets in recent times, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Vaishnaw addressed a virtual presser from New Delhi on highlights of allocations to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, along with SCR General Manager Arun Kumar Jai and other senior officials from Rail Nilayam, Secunderabad. The minister said that 142 km of track is being laid across Telangana every year as compared to just 70 km per year during 2009–2014. In the last 10 years, 414 Road over Bridges (RoBs) and Road under Bridges (RuBs) have been constructed.
As many as 40 railway stations across the state are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station scheme, Vaishnaw said, adding that 45 ‘One Station, One Product’ stalls have been set up in railway stations across the state to promote local products. He also said that Indian Railways has been allocated Rs 2,52,000 crore for 2024-25. Three major economic railway corridor projects, which will comprise the laying of 40,000 km of track, will be carried out in the next 6 to 8 years, Vaishnaw mentioned.