Articles by "Bullet Train"
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Hello Jammu News at 6:16:00 PM 0

Mumbai, Jul 26: The Congress today accused the BJP-led state government of utilising taxpayers' money from Maharashtra to ensure progress of Gujarat through the proposed bullet train project.

Alleging uneven cost distribution in favour of the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Anant Gadgil said only four of total 12 stations on the proposed Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train route fall in Maharashtra.

"Instead of Gujarat taking 2/3rd share and Maharashtra 1/3rd share of the total expenditure, we are bearing 50 per cent of the cost (of the bullet train project). This means Gujarat's development is taking place with the money of tax payers from Maharashtra. Is this called as the Gujarat model?" the MLC asked.

The ambitious project entailing the total cost of around Rs 1.10 lakh crore is being executed with the loan provided by Japan.

The first bullet train is expected to become operational by 2023.

The Congress and other parties have been opposing the project, terming it as waste of the public money.

Gadgil accused the prime minister of allotting big ticket projects like Nanar refinery to foreign companies.

The Congress leader cited a survey to question the "exorbitant" cost of the bullet train project.

"According to a survey, there is 35 per cent vacancy of seats on the existing mode of transport between Mumbai and Ahmedabad," he said.

Gadgil said, "the project cost comes around Rs 250 crore per km while the maintenance cost is Rs 45 lakh per km.

To make the project feasible, at least one lakh passengers should use the train per year".

He said Maharashtra would lose 75,000 hectares of land for the project.

"....50,000 trees will be felled.. more than 70 villages will be affected by this project," he claimed.

He attacked the state government over its ambitious Samruddhi corridor project which envisages construction of a 700-km long highway connecting Mumbai with Nagpur.

"Maharashtra is reeling under a huge debt, and has already availed an overdraft of Rs 350 crore. How will this project worth Rs 45,000 crore be funded?" he questionned.

Gadgil said the farmers are being pressurised by the government to part with their land for both the projects.

The Congress leader also questionned the "swiftness" with which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis cleared the Mumbai Development Plan (DP) 2034.

"The committee appointed to finalise the draft of the DP took almost one year to work on it. A total of 75,000 suggestions and objections were received from various quarters. I was shocked to know that the CM cleared the DP within an hour of the draft being submitted to him," he claimed.

Gadgil questionned DP provisions like hiking FSI (Floor Space Index) and allowing construction on salt pan lands in Mumbai. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 2:57:00 PM 0

Mumbai, Jul 17: Coming out in support of the ongoing protest by dairy farmers in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena today sought to know why the government cannot hike the milk procurement prices when it can spend crores on big-ticket projects like the bullet train.

Farmers' organisations in the state have launched a protest to demand a hike of Rs 5 per litre in milk procurement prices. As part of the protest, which began early Monday, milk tankers are being blocked in several districts of Maharashtra by protesters.

"This agitation cannot be ignored just because it was launched by (farmer leader) Raju Shetti. Farmers neither belong to any particular religion or caste, nor any political party. Over 3,000 farmers have ended their lives in the last four years and majority of them had voted for (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi," the Sena said.

"Last year's strike by farmers to press for their demands was a disgrace for the government. Now, instead of suppressing the ongoing agitation of dairy farmers, the state should think about how it can provide relief to them," the party said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party alleged that on the one hand, the government will try to break the agitation, while on the other it would chant the slogans of 'Jai Kisan'.

While the government has fixed Rs 27 per litre as the procurement price of milk, currently it is being procured only at Rs 16-18, the party said.

"The Goa and Karnataka governments give Rs 5 per litre subsidy to milk farmers. So what is wrong if the farmers in Maharashtra also seek a similar relief? The government is spending thousands of crores on bullet train, Samruddhi Corridor and Metro rail projects.

"It is even taking a loan for the bullet train, but not willing to increase the procurement price by Rs 5. PM Modi announced a hike in MSP for agricultural goods, but Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should clarify whether the farmers in Maharashtra will also get that benefit or not," it added.

The farmers, who once voted Modi to power, have now became disillusioned and distressed, it said adding, "In the recent Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha bypoll, the BJP was defeated by the farmers and the party's win in Palghar bypoll is meaningless."

The Sena said that people tolerated the all-time high fuel price hike, but for these farmers, increase in the milk procurement price is a matter of life and death.

"Where does the stubbornness, with which the government is trying to implement the Nanar refinery and bullet train projects, go when it comes to giving justice to farmers?" the party asked. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 6:33:00 PM 0

Mumbai, Jun 18: Calling the bullet train "extremely essential" for India, Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani today said that the public transporter looked at it as a project that would unleash technology-driven transportation in the country.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation, a special purpose vehicle of the Railways and the state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat, is implementing the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor with technical and financial assistance from Japan.
The project has had its share of controversies with a section of people questioning the need for it and others agitating against its land acquisition process.
"The advent of bullet train is extremely essential for out country as it will unleash technology-driven transportation," Lohani said here today.
"By running a bullet train, we wanted to commission a medium of rapid transport which can run at par with air travel as far as speed is concerned," the CRB said.
He added that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed corridor has a deadline of December 2022 and said the Railways was hopeful of completing it by then.
He was in Mumbai today to review various suburban projects and held deliberations with general managers of Western and Central Railways as well as officials of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation.
Among the projects discussed were capacity enhancement works under Mumbai Urban Transport Project, particularly the 5th and 6th lines between Thane and Diva as well as Kurla and Parel on Central Railway.
Lohani told reporters that the ministry was working to ensure the completion of big-ticket projects like the CSMT-Panvel suburban corridor.
He, however, parried questions on plans to convert CSMT, currently the headquarters of CR, into a museum.
"All I can say is that the glory of this incredible building will be restored and preserved by us," he said on the issue.
D K Sharma, CR general manager, speaking on the closure of six clinics at its railway stations, said that the private operator had failed to adhere to terms and conditions set by the Railways.
"We are going to review what else can be done or what course correction would be required to restart this facility," Sharma said.
These clinics, popularly called "one rupee clinics", were shut at Kurla, Ghatkopar, Wadala, Govandi, Vashi and Mulund stations on June 14.
Lohani, during his visit, inaugurated various passenger amenities like a self-ticketing zone, mobile charging station and a day-night 1098 Childline help desk at CSMT. (PTI)
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