Railways to carry relief materials for free: Lalu

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Thursday said the Indian railways will carry relief provisions for tsunami victims free of cost.

Railway employees across the country will donate a day's salary, totalling Rs 15 crore, towards Prime Minister's Relief Fund, he said in Balurghat while flagging off the first train on the long-awaited 86.89-km Balurghat-Eklakhi railway link.

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The project had been delayed for years due to lack of funds, and Mamata Banerjee, as railway minister, had revived it by allotting Rs 50 crore.

Yadav, who was accompanied by Union Water Resources Minister P R Dasmunshi and Congress MP from Malda Ghani Khan Chowdhury, said all remote districts in the country will be connected to the railway network.