Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the historic Kosi Rail Mega Bridge to the nation and inaugurated new rail lines and electrification projects in Bihar through video conferencing. The Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal, was present at the event.
“These projects will improve Bihar’s rail network and also strengthen connectivity in areas of West Bengal and West India,” said Prime Minister Modi.
The prime minister criticized the congressional government for not speeding up the Kosi Rail line program, the cornerstone of which was laid by Atal Bihari Vajpayee when his government was in power before 2004. “If the government continued to work at the rate at which I was working after 2004, the project could never have been completed on time, ”he said.
“In the past 6 years, efforts are being made to shape Indian Railways according to the aspirations of the new India and the expectations of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. Trains made in India are becoming part of the rail network, ”said PM Modi.
Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Kosi Rail Mega Bridge will not only connect two locations, but will also help the state’s economy grow. “This will help in the general development of the state,” he said.
Bihar Prime Minister Nitish Kumar thanked Prime Minister Modi and the Minister of Railways for their work towards the development of Bihar. He expressed his appreciation for the projects that were inaugurated on Friday.
Bihar MP, CM Sushil Kumar Modi, said these railway lines will connect Jain and Buddhist pilgrimage sites and encourage tourism in Bihar.
“The bridge is of strategic importance along the India-Nepal border. The historic project to build the bridge, which is 1.9 kilometers long and has been built at a cost of Rs 516 crore, was sanctioned by the Center in 2003-04, ”a government statement said.
“The project was completed during the Covid-19 pandemic where migrant labor also participated in its completion,” he added.
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