Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Information and Broadcasting, Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise, Government of India flagged off DEMU train from Phaltan to Pune via Lonand on March 30, 2021 through video conferencing from New Delhi. Shamrao alias Balasaheb Patil, Minister of Cooperation and Marketing, Government of Maharashtra and Guardian Minister of Satara District, Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar, MP (Lok Sabha), Girish Bapat, MP (Lok Sabha), Shriniwas Patil, MP (Lok Sabha), Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhonsle, MP (Rajya Sabha), Chandrakant (Dada) Patil,, Sunil Kamble, MLAs and Neeta Nevase, President, Municipal Council, Phaltan joined through video link on the occasion. Suneet Sharma, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Board, Punendu Mishra, Member (O & B D), Railway Board, joined from New Delhi. Sanjeev Mittal, General Manager, Central Railway from CSMT Mumbai welcomed the gathering.
Prakash Javadekar while speaking on the occasion said that under the guidance of Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, sweeping changes are visible in Railways. Introduction of Bio-toilets have made the tracks and station platforms clean. It is an ideal example of Swachh Bharat.
He also mentioned that under the Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal’s leadership railways' simplified reservation on IRCTC have helped passengers to get tickets faster. Infrastructural inputs like elimination of unmanned railways crossings to ensure safety of highest standards, progress of electrification, doubling, port connectivity in railways have helped to boost economy and growth. More than 5000 Railway stations have been provided with wi-fi which enable passengers to access world wide web and open their horizon of knowledge.
