Patna,(BiharTimes): RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain the rationale behind investing Rs 98,000 crore in a single project when the Centre is reducing budget allocations on major sectors like agriculture, health and education.
In a two-page letter to the Prime Minister Office the former railway minister asked as to how can a country, where millions of people die due to poverty, illness, malnutrition and defecate in open afford such an extravaganza.
According to him instead of non-viable Bullet the railways should introduce high-speed inter-city trains to reduce the hardship of passengers.
“What percentage of India’s population will benefit from this costly project for such a small distance? The Centre perhaps believes in lopsided development,” the letter asked.
Lalu charged that the farmers and the poor were being ignored at the cost of the Bullet train project.
Citing the example of the United States the letter posted on the Twitter said the richest country in the world does not have a Bullet train. The reason is simple: in the fiercely competitive market, high cost trains like Bullet are beaten by low cost airlines.
“At a time when the Railways is fighting a grim battle for its very survival due to ever-increasing operating ratio and decline in income from freight and passenger segments, investment of nearly Rs one lakh crore in an unviable Bullet train project is just like putting a cart before the horse,” Lalu wrote.