By IANS,
Haldia (West Bengal): The Indian Railways will recruit 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh people in the next six months across the country, union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said here Friday.
“We will take 2.5 lakh – 3 lakh people all over the country. But I am sure we will get over three crore job applications,” Banerjee said at a railway programme in this industrial town.
“The written tests will be held throughout the country over several days and the entire process will take over six months,” she added.
The railways minister laid the foundation of a diesel multiple unit here, a wagon component factory to be set up in nearby Jellingham and the second Haldia dock complex of Kolkata port at the function.
The diesel unit project was shifted here from Howrah district’s Sankrail following anti-land acquisition protests.
“Only one percent of people instigated by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) were opposing the project at Sankrail. Ninety nine percent people wanted it there. And I know if I had waited, things would have been sorted out,” the minister said.
The diesel multiple unit factory will be set up on 42.5 acres of railway land and produce 96 coaches per year in phase 1 and 500 coaches in phase 2.
At Jellingham, the Steel Authority of India, railway and central public sector unit Burn Standard and Braithwaite will join hands to set up the wagon component factory.