Union Budget: Surat–Dankuni Dedicated Freight Corridor Proposed

New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a dedicated freight corridor connecting Surat in Gujarat and Dankuni in West Bengal in the 2026-27 Budget.

This corridor aims to facilitate logistics and freight movement between the two states and strengthen economic ties, particularly important as Bengal prepares for upcoming elections.

Additionally, the government plans to operationalize 20 new national waterways and establish rare earth corridors in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh to boost domestic mining and processing of critical minerals.

This initiative seeks to enhance India’s self-sufficiency in rare earths, reducing reliance on China, which dominates global supply.