Jammu, Apr 6 : Union

New Delhi, Feb 27: Indian Railways is seeking greater role for private players in building rail infrastructure in the country, and this regard proposals have been made in the railway budget unveiled on Tuesday.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav proposed public-private partnership projects that will cost a trillion rupees in next five years.

The projects for port connectivity, freight corridors, container terminals and improved passenger amenities will go a long way towards making rail network modern and efficient.

New Delhi/Patna, Feb 26: Porters from all over the country on Tuesday thanked Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav for his announcement of entitling them to jobs in railways.

Lalu Prasad on his budget speech announced one-time recruitment to licensed porters in the railways.

Porters constitute one of the largest working forces of the Indian railways.

“The registered porters who have licenses will be allowed to work as gangmen or any group D post in railways for one time after due screening,” Prasad told a news conference here. .

New Delhi, Feb 26 : Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yaday on Tuesday said that his ministry has issued directions for setting up minority cells in all Zonal Railway offices and in the Railway Board for promoting minorities’ welfare and ensuring their adequate representation in railway services.

New Delhi, Feb 26 : Railways Minister Lalu Prasad on Tuesday announced that the Anti Collision Device would be introduced in Southern, South Central and South Western Railway in the next two years.

This follows encouraging results from the North East Frontier Railways where a Pilot Project is already in place.

A multi-pronged scheme has been prepared to reduce human failure. It envisages provision of automatic safety devices.

Lalu said that sustained efforts have led to significant improvement in safety and consequential fall in accidents that has come down from 234 in 2005-06 to 195 in 2006-07.

New Delhi, Feb 26: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today announced completion of the process of rationalisation of freight structure that will reduce freight rates for petrol and diesel by five per cent.

Lalu said that barring a few light commodities, the difference between the highest and the lowest rates is not more than two times.

The freight rates for these commodities will thus be brought down by 17 per cent in three years’ time.