Govt approves Rs 5,000 cr for modernising ND Railway St

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister's Committee on Infrastructure on Friday approved a massive Rs 5,000 crore proposal for modernising the New Delhi Railway Station through Public-Private-partnership before the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Announcing this after a meeting of the Committee chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad told reporters that the Committee also approved modernisation of 20 other railway stations across the country, a commitment given by him in the Rail Budget 2007-08.

Prasad, who along with Railway Board Chairman attended the meeting, said that the first phase of the work at the Railway Station would begin shortly and the Ministry has invited World class consultants to advise the Railways to provide best of the facilities at the stations.

He also announced that for better inter-ministerial coordination, an Empowered Committee under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary has been constituted in which chairman Railway Board, Secretary Planning Commission, Home, Economic Affairs, Urban development, Environment and forests, Chief Secretary Delhi Government, Vice-Chairman DDA and Chairpersons of MCD and NDMC would be ex-officio members.