No projects to be shelved for lack of funds: Velu

New Delhi, May 18 (UNI) The Railway Ministry today assured the Lok Sabha that none of the 263 projects, estimated to cost Rs 53,000 crore, would be ''grounded'' due to paucity of funds or economic unviability.

Replying to supplementaries during question hour, Minister of State for Railways R Velu said his ministry had prioritised the projects and decided to implement four categories on an urgent basis.

The categories that would get priority were the projects that had been completed to the extent of 60 per cent or more, those which were operationally viable, national projects, those meant for the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir and Defence-funded projects.

Deputy Speaker Charnjit Singh Atwal expunged some remarks made against the Minister by Mr Prabhunath Singh (JD-U).

Replying to the member, Mr Velu took strong exception to the remark that his Ministry was not doing any worthwhile work. If it was so, then how the Ministry could make a record profit of Rs 11,000 crore, he wondered.

PILIBHIT: Replying to a question by Ms Maneka Gandhi (BJP), the Minister said the Planning Commission had given in-principle approval for the gauge conversion project in the Tarai region of Uttar Pradesh which was rich in sugar, wheat and rice cultivation.

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