Prime Minister Narendra Modi today ruled out privatisation of the Railways. Stating that there is a misunderstanding that Railways is being privatised, he made it clear that government is not moving in that direction. Dedicating to the nation a modern air-conditioned passenger train engine and inaugurating a project for expansion of the Diesel Locomotive Workshop in Varanasi, he asked trade unions to stop worrying about foreign investments in the sector. Mr Modi said foreign and private capital can be utilized for improving infrastructure the national transporter, which, in turn, will help boost the economy.
The Prime Minister denounced the practice of female foeticide in the country, saying there is no bigger sin than this. Speaking at a function at Banaras Hindu University in the city he sought help of people in the field of art and culture in shaking the society to stop the menace. Mr Modi also suggested holding kavi sammelans on the social evil along with spreading the message about cleanliness. The Prime Minister also expressed concern over the problem of malnutrition of women and children in a country where there is a tradition of feeding even ants and cows.
Mr Modi, who was in the holy city to attend a series of functions as part of Good Governance Day on the occasion of the 90th birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, launched a mission for producing a large number good teachers. The mission for teachers' training has been named after Banaras Hindu University founder and Bharat Ratna awardee Madan Mohan Malviya. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister advocated introduction of a five-year training course after schooling for those aspiring to pursue a career in teaching. He said the country should aim at exporting top-class teachers across the world.
Mr Modi also visited the Assi Ghat in his constituency. In a brief address, he lauded people for helping rid the Ghat of mounds of soil and garbage to restore the historical site to its old glory. He supervised the cleanliness campaign there and also nominated various people and organisations to join the Swachh Bharat campaign. They include Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Acharya, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, comedian Kapil Sharma and classical dancer Sonal Mansingh. The Prime Minister also launched Varanasi Mahotsava in the culturally-rich city. He talked about the rich heritage of handicrafts and suggested that it could be given a fillip by involving technology. Mr Modi highlighted the tourism potential of Varanasi and suggested that schools in the city should have cultural programmes to attract tourists.
