Rly ministry’s post on track doubling project missing

Margao: Three days after the railways ministry announced on X the commissioning of the 312-km-long Hospet-Vasco track-doubling project, the post surprisingly went missing from its X handle.However, a similar post by the railways ministry still exists on Facebook.The Union ministry had posted on its X handle that following the commissioning of the project, “coal, iron ore and steel transportation in the region” would be sped up, while also “boosting tourism to Goa and Hampi.”The claim that the development would accelerate coal transport triggered a backlash from all opposition parties, which accused govt of fooling the people.

Reacting to the post, state Congress president Amit Patkar said, “This exposes the sheer hypocrisy of BJP govt which kept misleading Goans by falsely projecting that it was not a coal transportation project.”The widespread criticism prompted chief minister Pramod Sawant to state that the track-doubling project aims to promote tourism and improve freight efficiency without expanding coal handling volumes. However, the abrupt removal of the controversial post by the railways ministry from its X handle has raised eyebrows among social and political circles.