‘Made in Bihar’ rail wheels running railways, says Lalu Yadav
Lalu Yadav mocks Nitish Kumar’s development claims
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, August 14: Former Union Minister of Railways Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday said that his initiative to set up a rail wheel factory in Saran is now giving a new speed to the railways. Yadav questioned the development model of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
“I am happy to inform you that a record two lakh rail wheels have been produced in the Rail Wheel Plant located at Dariyapur in Saran. I laid its foundation stone on 29 July 2008, while I was the Minister for the Railways,” Yadav said in a long post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
The Rashtriya Janata dal (RJD) patriarch also questioned the development model of the incumbent chief minister. Yadav had also been the chief minister of Bihar.
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“Nitish should tell what did Bihar get in 10 years of the NDA (rule) apart from empty announcements? We got Bihar ₹1.44 lakh crores in aid in just five years between 2004 and 2009 on the strength of 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha,” added Yadav.
Bihar is heading for Assembly elections. Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget proposals this year unveiled a slew of projects for Bihar.
“These people with 31 MPs in 2014, 39 MPs in 2019 and 30 MPs in 2024 go to Delhi with folded hands and beg, but, still, they get nothing. In the capital, rights are not demanded but snatched,” claimed Yadav.
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The RJD leader stated that about ₹1640 crore rupees were spent on the construction of the plant in Saran. “Manufacturing of rail wheels in Bihar proved to be a boon for the Indian Railways. Now, ‘Made in Bihar’ rail wheels are making a record in increasing the speed of Indian Railways and are making an important contribution to the development of the country,” added Yadav.
The RJD founder also said that “more than two lakh rail wheels have been manufactured so far by the Rail Wheel Plant located at Bela in Bihar, which has reduced the dependence of Indian Railways on foreign countries”.
The Railways had announced setting up of two rail wheel factories in Bihar when Yadav was the Union Minister in the first term of the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh. “I am happy to inform you that the Bela Rail Wheel Plant established by us in Bihar is playing its role in making the country self-reliant,” added Yadav.
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He stated that the “construction of the Rail Wheel Plant, approved in 2004-05 and started in July 2008, was an important step towards reviving industrialization in Bihar. This was the first time in the history of Indian Railways that a highly sophisticated factory was set up in the country without any foreign collaboration”.
This was possible due to the in-house capability and expertise of the railway engineers, added Yadav. “The site was full of challenges to set up the factory as it was surrounded by rivers on all sides and was flooded, but with our will-power we overcame all the difficulties and inaugurated it in 2008 and started the civil work,” added Yadav.
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The RJD leader also stated that his party having been the second largest in the UPA-1 got a “special financial assistance of ₹1.44 lakh crore for development work to Bihar between 2004 and 2009 with the support of Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi”.
“Due to the support received from the Center in the UPA-1, rural roads, bridges, electricity, railway lines, employment under MNREGA, railway stations, and a network of railway factories in Saran and Madhepura were seen in Bihar,” added Yadav.
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