New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during the presentation of the Interim Budget 2024–25, underscored the government’s commitment to railway development by announcing the conversion of 40,000 normal rail bogies to Vande Bharat Standards. This initiative aims to elevate passenger safety and comfort. Furthermore, she revealed plans for airport development, including the creation of 149 new airports and upgrades to existing ones to meet evolving aviation needs.
In addition to the rail bogie upgrade, the Finance Minister outlined three major economic railway corridor programmes focused on energy, mineral, and cement corridors. These initiatives, implemented under PM Gati Shakti for multi-modal connectivity, are expected to enhance logistics efficiency and reduce costs.
The minister asserted that the Indian economy has undergone a profound positive transformation in the last decade. The commitment to metro development in major cities and the expansion of the electric vehicle sector were also assured. An allocation of Rs 11.11 lakh crore has been earmarked for infrastructure development, aligning with the vision of achieving a developed Bharat by 2047.
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