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PRIME MINISTER TO DEDICATE KONKAN RAILWAY LINE TO NATION ON MAY 1

    The Prime Minister Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee will dedicate the 760 kilometre long Konkan Railway line to the nation at a function to be held at Ratnagiri on May 1, 1998. The function will be presided over by the Railway Minister Shri Nitish Kumar. Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa, whose states are equity partners in the Konkan Railway, will also be present on the occasion. The Minister of State for Railways, Parliamentary Affairs, Planning and Programme Implementation Shri Ram Naik will be the Chief Guest.

    May 1 is also observed as Maharashtra Foundation Day, the state which has 22 per cent share in the Konkan Railway.

    The Konkan Railway line is Asia's largest railway line constructed at one stretch and India's biggest railway project of this century. It cost more than Rs.3400 crores. The project was undertaken by Konkan Railway Corporation, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways.The Konkan Railway line was fully commissioned with effect from january 26, this year. The work of project was begun in October 1990.
 
 

RAM NAIK ASSUMES ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF PLANNING AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

    The Minister of State for Railways and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ram Naik has assumed the additional charge of the office of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Planning and Programme Implementation. This follows Presidential Order on the advise of the Prime Minister, issued on April 20,1998.