Indian Railways launches three projects with CSR funds
Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal, launched 3 projects supported through ‘Rail Sahyog’, which is a platform for the Corporates and PSUs to contribute to creation of amenities at or near Railway Stations through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
These projects would help augment Railways infrastructure, improve passenger experience and enhance cleanliness and hygiene.
According the initiative, Wi-Fi Facility at 4,791 stations will be carried out by Tata Trust. Indian Railways is striving to provide high speed internet services to its passengers over its network as part of the Prime Minister’s initiative to create ‘Digital India’.
Out of 8,738 stations, 6,441 stations have been planned to be given Wi-Fi facility, excluding 2,297 halt stations. So far, 832 stations have been equipped with Wi-Fi facility. 775 more stations will be covered with Wi-Fi service by March, 2019.
TATA Trust will take up the balance 4,791 stations, which are targeted for commissioning progressively by 2nd September 2019, on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.
The second project is to provide toilets in circulating areas of stations. Over 2,400 toilets will be constructed in circulating area of Stations with separate units for Men, Women and Divyangjan (differently abled) with low-cost sanitary pads dispenser, incinerator and condom vending machines, through CSR support from corporates like Coal India Ltd. and its Subsidiaries; NLC, IRFC, CONCOR and PGCIL.
RITES, a PSU under Ministry of Railways, is project implementation partner, on behalf of Indian Railways. Sample toilets have been installed at Anand Vihar Station, New Delhi Station and Prayagraj Station.
The third project envisages providing steel benches at Railway Stations. General Insurance Corporation committed to provide funds for 5,000 stainless steel benches at Railway Stations. These benches will be provided at 250 Stations of Central and Western Railway.
