Finance
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the foundation stone laying ceremony on February 26 for the construction of 550 Amrit Bharat stations. According to a PTI report, the initiative, which would build rooftop plazas and city centers at a total cost of Rs 40,000 crore, is intended to improve the amenities at train stations. The Prime Minister will also perform a virtual event that will be aired at more than 2,000 train stations, where he will lay the cornerstone for about 1,500 road overbridges and underbridges in different states. Through video conference, the PM will participate in the event.
Furthermore, prizes will be awarded to approximately 50,000 school students who participated in speech, essay, and poetry writing competitions on the theme “2047 – Viksit Bharat ki Railway,” organized by Indian Railways across 4,000 schools. Approximately four lakh students participated in various competitions, and about 50,000 prizes will be distributed by divisional railway managers and senior railway officers during the event.
Upgrading Amrit Bharat Railway Stations
The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was initiated for the development of stations on Indian Railways. It involves creating master plans and implementing them in phases to enhance station amenities, including improving station access, circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lift/escalators, cleanliness, free WiFi, and kiosks for local products under schemes like ‘One Station, One Product.’
In addition, the plan calls for building executive lounges, setting aside areas for corporate meetings, planting landscaping, and connecting stations with other towns. Long-term goals include the provision of facilities for people with disabilities, roof plazas, ballastless tracks, gradual and feasible construction, and city centers at stations.
In addition to recommending road widening, the removal of unneeded structures, thoughtful signage, designated pedestrian pathways, planned parking areas, better lighting, and high-level platforms with a standard platform length of 600 meters, the scheme prioritizes environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions.
Based on suggestions from zonal railroads, 1,318 stations have currently been chosen under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with an emphasis on stations in large cities and towns.
Source:FE
