Railway budget positive, to put railways on fast track: PHD Chamber

Jalandhar, July 8 2014: Welcoming the rail budget laying thrust on safety, cleanliness, passenger amenities and capacity augmentation, besides announcements for modernisation including setting up of modern logistic parks, warehouses for freight storage; temperature controlled storage for fruits and vegetables, Dalip Sharma, Director, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry described the railways Budget for 2014-15 as growth oriented since it rightly lays emphasis on re-building railways through public-private-partnership mode including inviting foreign capital with FDI route.
While welcoming the 4 new trains for Punjab, Sharma said, Punjab being a landlocked state, industry was looking forward to provisions for better connectivity. Dedicated freight corridors connecting major industrial towns needs to be expedited, added Sharma.
However, said Sharma “The announcements made in railways budget would go a long way to enhance rail infrastructure and to generate employment opportunities in the economy.”
The connectivity issues regarding Chandigarh, said Vikram Sahgal, Chairman, Chandigarh Committee, PHD Chamber, cannot be taken up in isolation. There should be a dedicated public transport system for Chandigarh Capital Region (CCR).
These should be addressed as a larger CCR including not only Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, but it should be an extended CCR for rail connectivity purposes upto Ambala in Haryana and Rupnagar in Punjab. So much so this should include rail connectivity up to Baddi in Himachal Pradesh as well.
The aim is to be able to transport goods in the most cost effective manner and also financially and environmentally sustainable manner, added Sahgal.
The workers in most of the industry located in this belt are daily commuters from Chandigarh. This would also relieve the road infrastructure, said Sahgal.
R S Sachdeva, Co-Chairman, Punjab Committee, PHD Chamber welcomed the move of Union government to set up Railway University for technical and non-technical subjects besides tying-up with technical institutions for specialized human resource.