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Budget 2019: 'Bharatmala', 'Sagarmala' and UDAN bridging rural-urban divide: Sitharaman

WION Web Team
New DelhiUpdated: Jul 05, 2019, 03:17 PM IST
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File photo of Indian railways Photograph:(Zee News Network)

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Schemes such as 'Bharatmala', 'Sagarmala' and UDAN are bridging the rural and urban divide, Sitharaman said.

During the interim Budget presented by former finance minister Piyush Goyal the Modi government had pushed for electric vehicles(EVs) and emphasised on green technology, the move was taken forward by the new finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman who took forward the Sagarmala project for road, rail and port connectivity.

The "Bharatmala", "Sagarmala" and UDAN was proposed by the finance minister to "bridge the rural-urbal divide".

"Schemes such as 'Bharatmala', 'Sagarmala' and UDAN are bridging the rural and urban divide, improving our transport infrastructure," Sitharaman stressed.

Sitharaman said in the second phase of Bharatmala project states will be helped to develop roadways. The Sagarmala project unveiled by the first Modi government had envisaged developing India's waterways and costline by setting up new ports linking it through rail and roads.

"Comprehensive restructuring of National Highways Programme will be done to ensure the creation of National Highways Grid of desirable capacity," Sitharaman said during her maiden Budget presentation in Parliament.

"Government envisions using rivers for cargo transport,it will also decongest roads and railways," the finance minister informed.

Sitharaman said 1.25 lakh kilometres roads would be upgraded under the PM Gram Sadak Yogana with the government set to invest Rs 80,250 crores.

The finance minister also said 657 km of metro rail network would become operational across the country.

Sitharaman informed the Lok Sabha that "Dedicated Freight Corridors" by Indian Railways will decongest the mainline railway network with PPP (Public-Private Partnership) for Railway development.

The finance minister Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) will encourge suburban railway network development.  Indian Railways needs Rs 50 lakh crore investment till 2030, Sitharaman said.