Lalu’s poll sops for Bihar on track

Next week, the minister is scheduled to go on a foundation stone laying spree in Bihar, laying stones for 13 railway projects, including for two major locomotive manufacturing units and six new railway lines.

On October 13, Lalu would lay the foundation stone for a new diesel locomotive factory at Marhaura in Chhapra district, his own constituency. The Rs 2,000-crore project, expected to produce around 100 diesel locomotives annually, is one of the biggest railway project related to setting up a rolling stock manufacturing facility.

On October 15, the minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stone a new electric locomotive factory at Madhepura at a cost of Rs 1,294 crore. This, according to sources, is Lalu’s way of compensating Madhepura, the constituency he relinquished in favour of Chhapra after the last elections.

The two new lines between Bariarpur-Mananpur (via Kharagpur-Lachimpur-Barahat) and Sultanganj and Katuria (via Asarganj, Tarapur and Belhar) were accorded approval by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on August 16 and would cost Rs 251 crore and Rs 289 crore, respectively.

Further, the minister would lay stones for a couple of extension works at Jamalpur workshop, two new manned level crossing at Kharia Pipra Halt (between Ganganiyan and Kalyanpur road railway station) and between Akbarnagar and Maheshi railway stations, a wagon rehabilitation workshop at Barauni and would inaugurate a platform capable of handling a 24-coach train at Sultanganj.

Sources close to the minister said that Lalu also plans to spend a major portion of the forthcoming navratras in Bihar. “He would keep coming to Delhi in between, as and when needed,” said a source.