Railways to improve services in Chhattisgarh

Rail connectivity will be improved in the interiors of Chhattisgarh, particularly in the Maoist-hit Bastar region, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said Wednesday.

“Railway is determined to improve and upgrade rail connectivity in Chhattisgarh and the focus is on Bastar,” Trivedi told reporters here after meeting Chief Minister Raman Singh.

The minister also conceded a demand of Singh for developing an industrial rail corridor in the coal-rich areas of the state and asked officials to study its feasibility.

If implemented, the Rs.40,000 crore project can double the revenue earnings of the railways from the state that has India’s roughly one-fifth of coal and iron ore deposits.

Trivedi’s day-long visit came against the backdrop of protests that erupted last month in Bastar to demand better rail services.