Posted On:
12 MAR 2024 6:09PM by PIB Kolkata
Kolkata, March 12, 2024
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various Railway projects worth more than ₹85 thousand crore across the country. He also flagged off 10 Vande Bharat Express trains and other Rail services today.
The programme include various key projects of Eastern Railway (ER) like 1) laying of foundation stone for Deoghar Coaching Maintenance Pit for 24 LHB type coach maintenance & Sick line and also the dedication of Washing Pit with stabling line at Deoghar, 2) Goods Shed at Mohanpur in Asansol Division, 3) Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal at Pakur in Howrah Division, 4) Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal at Godda in Malda Division, 5) Jan Aushadi Kendra at Malda Town station and 6) Additional Pit line No. 4 & construction of shed of line no. 3 & 4 for enabling 12-coach rake formation at Narkeldanga Car shed.
Besides, a new train Asansol – Hatia Express with Vista-Dome Coach facility was also flagged off by the Prime Minister. This train will link the highly industrialised Asansol area with the state capital of the adjacent state Jharkhand and will help in improving intra-State mobility benefitting easy movement of man & material between two neighbouring States which in turn help in socio economic development of the region.
This apart, a total of 172 One Station One Product stalls in ER jurisdiction were dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister today including one at Kolkata station. Among these One Station One Product Stalls over ER jurisdiction, 144 are in West Bengal, 14 in Bihar & 14 in Jharkhand. These stalls are spread over Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol & Malda Divisions of ER.
Kolkata station was joined through web-link with this nationwide inaugural programme by Shri Modi, in presence of Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Railways, Communication, Electronics and Information Technology, through Video Conferencing.
The Governor of West Bengal, Dr. C V Ananda Bose graced the programme at Kolkata station. Shri Milind K Deouskar , General Manager, ER was also present at Kolkata station on this auspicious occasion.
The Governor of West Bengal inspired the OSOP ( One Station One Product) artisans by announcing monetary awards of Rs. 10,000/- (for each category) to different OSOP Viswakarmas over ER jurisdiction :
The recipient of the Awards are as follows:
1. Best Artisan Award to Smt. Maya Pal - OSOP stalls owner Durgapur (Asansol division)
2. Best Product to Samajik Pahal Foundation (Adisaptagram - Howrah division)
3. Best OSOP Stalls - Loknath traders (Krishnanagar station - Sealdah division)
Another pioneering step has also been taken by the Ministry of Railways by facilitating the opening of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadi Kendra (PMBJK) at stations across the country. The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadi Kendra (PMBJK) opened at Malda Town station concourse will be a strategic centre for getting generic medicine at low cost which will be beneficial for the person traversing through the station and inhabitants of the local area by getting quality medicine at low cost.
Colourful programmes were arranged at different locations over its four divisions, viz. Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol & Malda as they joined the central function through Weblink to witness the historic event.
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SSS/12.3.24/.