Rs.1,000 crore proposed for railways in northeast

New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) To encourage rail travel, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Thursday proposed an outlay of Rs.1,000 crore to build railway infrastructure in the northeastern region.

The minister told the Lok Sabha while presenting the national budget that this sum will be over and above the funds allocated in the railway budget for the northeast.

On Tuesday, Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda allocated Rs.5,116 crore for projects in the northeastern region.

The railways is expected to take up eco-tourism and education tourism services in the northeast.

There are 23 projects under way in the region, of which 11 are national projects.