Railway Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee has ruled out privatization of Indian Railways. Addressing the Consultative Committee attached to her ministry in New Delhi yesterday, she said that the Public-Private-Participation (PPP) route will be utilized to create more infrastructure, assets and more employment opportunities. She said that PPP is an instrument of mobilization of increased revenue from new business opportunities for investment in infrastructure. The Railway Minister said there are many socially desirable railway projects, which are not being implemented because of shortage of funds. She said that there is a need to adopt new vision and new thinking for the development of Indian Railways as outlined in the ‘Indian Railways Vision 2020’ document. Ms Banerjee said that commercial utilization of railway land, not required for immediate railway operations, and is being adopted to set up manufacturing facilities for locos, coaches, and components as well as for hospitals, medical colleges and training institutions. The Railway Board Chairman, Mr. Vivek Sahai, outlined the PPP strategy of Indian Railways. He said that the PPP proposals received by the Railways are being processed and dialogues with the private players are being initiated. <br/>