25 rail projects announced in previous Budgets still await govt nod

New Delhi: Twenty five railway projects announced in previous Budgets were still pending government’s approval due to huge throw-forward of the ongoing projects and limited availability of funds, Parliament was informed on Friday.  "There are 25 projects which had been included in previous Budgets pending government approval but the same could not be granted due to huge throw-forward of ongoing projects, limited availability of funds and competing priorities," Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour. Depending upon remunerativeness, operational requirements, missing links, strategic and socio-economic considerations, projects are shortlisted for government approval normally before inclusion in the Budget. However, sometimes projects are included in the Budget pending government approval, though physical execution of such projects is taken up only after obtaining the requisite nod. Gowda said considering the return of revenue (RoR), only three projects out of the 25 would be “eligible” for taking up for implementation. He, however, did not name the projects. The pending projects would require around Rs 21,000 crore outlay and these involve laying of some new lines, gauge conversion and doubling of lines. PTI