Centre okays projects worth Rs 5,983 crore or Delhi-Ambala 3rd and 4th Railway lines of 194 km
The 194-km Delhi–Ambala project, estimated at Rs 5,983 crore, is considered crucial for both passenger travel and troop movement.
PTC News Desk: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Narendra Modi, on Friday approved three major railway projects worth Rs 18,509 crore. The projects include the Kasara–Manmad third and fourth line, the Delhi–Ambala third and fourth line, and the Bellary–Hosapete third and fourth line.
The 194-km Delhi–Ambala project, estimated at Rs 5,983 crore, is considered crucial for both passenger travel and troop movement.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project holds strategic importance for moving troops from Delhi to Jammu via Sonepat, Panipat, Kurukshetra and other districts of Haryana. It will also improve passenger comfort on the Delhi–Chandigarh route and further towards Jammu. The project is expected to be completed within four years and will not require significant land acquisition.
Vaishnaw added that construction will involve one major bridge, 28 additional bridges, and the rehabilitation of older bridges along the route. He said the project is projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 43 crore kg annually and generate 132 lakh man-days of employment.
The approval came at the final Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister at the South Block before the government shifted from the colonial-era North and South Blocks to the new office complexes, Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan.
According to a Cabinet note, the additional rail lines will significantly improve mobility, operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. The multi-tracking projects aim to ease congestion and streamline operations. Covering 12 districts across Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka, the three projects will expand the railway network by about 389 km.
The special Cabinet also passed a resolution stating that the North and South Blocks were constructed during British rule as symbols of colonial subjugation, and noted that governments after Independence continued to function from these buildings. It expressed satisfaction that the Prime Minister’s Office had moved out of South Block and that the government had shifted to modern office complexes designed to enhance efficiency and productivity.