Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the historical Kosi Rail Mega Bridge to the nation and inaugurated new rail lines and electrification projects in Bihar via video-conferencing. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was present at the event.
“These projects will improve Bihar’s railway network and also strengthen connectivity in areas of West Bengal and West India,” PM Modi said.
The PM took a dig at the Congress government for not expediting the Kosi Rail line programme for which foundation stone was laid by Atal Bihari Vajpayee when his government was in power before 2004. “If the government continued to work at the rate it was working on after 2004, the project could never have been completed on time,” he said.
“In the last 6 years, efforts are being made to shape Indian Railways as per the aspirations of new India and expectations of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat.’ The made in India trains are becoming part of rail network,“ PM Modi said.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Kosi Rail Mega Bridge will not only connect two places but also help the state’s economy grow. “This will aid in the overall development of the state,” he said.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar thanked PM Modi and Railway Minister for their work aimed at Bihar’s development. He expressed his gratitude for the projects being inaugurated on Friday.
Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said that these rail lines will connect Jain and Buddhist pilgrimage sites and encourage tourism in Bihar.
“The bridge has strategic importance along the India-Nepal border. The historical project to build the bridge, which is 1.9 kilometres long and has been constructed at a cost of Rs 516 crore, was sanctioned by the Centre in 2003-04,” a government release said.
“The project was completed during the Covid-19 pandemic where the migrant labour also participated in its completion,” it added.
