Extract from the speech of Mr. Raj Bahadur in Lok Sabha on March 24, 1964

Summary

This four-page English extract from Raj Bahadur’s Lok Sabha speech of March 24, 1964, addresses roads, road transport, automobile production, taxation, and inter-State transport administration. Bahadur responds to criticisms by M. R. Masani and other members, arguing that road allocations and expenditure must be judged against the rapid expansion of the national highways system, difficult foreign-exchange conditions, and spending on border roads. He cites increased expenditure on national highways, the construction of major road links and bridges, and improvements to previously poor-quality roads.

The speech also presents automobile production and licensing figures as evidence of industrial expansion, while acknowledging constraints on transport capacity. Bahadur defends the existing Inter-State Transport Commission, reports proposed roads in Assam, Rajasthan, southern India, and Gujarat, and supports mechanisation of road construction. He rejects a recommendation attributed to Dr. Beeching for closing thousands of railway stations, concluding with an appeal to the Railway Minister to reconsider that proposal.

Key points

• Bahadur defends government road allocations and expenditure against criticisms raised during the Lok Sabha debate.
• National-highway expenditure increased from about Rs. 10 crores annually in 1960–61 to Rs. 34.38 crores in the revised 1963–64 estimates.
• The speech highlights the construction of a 102-mile road from Barauni to Phulbari and major bridge projects as achievements of the road programme.
• Automobile production, domestic manufacture of components, and licensing capacity are presented as indicators of industrial growth.
• Bahadur argues that inter-State permits and transport capacity must expand alongside the projected increase in vehicle production.
• He describes proposed road projects in Assam, Rajasthan, southern India, and Gujarat and calls for mechanisation of road construction.
• He defends the Inter-State Transport Commission’s existing method of coordinating routes and settling disputes.
• The extract closes by opposing Dr. Beeching’s recommendation to close 4,295 railway stations and cancel passenger services.