Populist Rail Budget: No increase in passenger fares

Feb 26 (UNI) New Delhi: Presenting a populist budget ahead of Assembly elections in her home State of West Bengal, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled budget without any increase in passenger fares.
She also yesterday announced a series of concessions for various categories of passengers, including the handicppaed and army personnel, and introduction of new trains, including non-stop Durontoes.

She announced several developmental projects, including new coach factories in several unserved areas in the country, including Jammu and Kashmir.

Claiming that rate of accidents had come down, the Minister, however, announced introduction of Anti-Collision devices to further improve passangers’ safety in new Railway zones.

In her third consecutive budget, she said the new rail-based industries are being set up as part of Vision 2020 of the Railways.

Handicpped passengers, she said, will also be entitled for concessions for travelling in Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains.

She also announced that press correspondents can now avail 50 per cent concession for their families twice a year as against once a year previously.

Among the measures announced by the Minister is a proposal to set up a Rail industrial park at Nandigram, and a Railway bridge factory in Jammu and Kashmir to provide for a large number of bridges for projects in the state.

A diesel locomotive industry will be set up in Manipur, the first such project in the North east, she added.

She said the first coach from the Rail Coach factory in Rae Bareli( Sonia Gandhi’s constiuency) will roll out in the next three months.

There is also a proposal to set up a Metro coach factory near Singur in West Bengal, a 700 MW gas-based power plant in Thakurli in Maharashtra, and a track machine industry at Uluberia in West Bengal.

She said Anti-Collision Devices will be installed on tracks and trains in three railway zones to bring down accidents.

The Minister also announced setting up Railway lines in difficult and under-developed areas.

She said 10,000 shelters would be set up for shelterless people.

The Minister said the Railways have a Rs 57,630 crore investment plan for 2011-12. An additional Rs 10,000 crore will be raised through tax-free bonds.

In her speech, Ms banerjee said the Railways would take steps to fulfil the sense of social responsibility.

”We have made rail travel possible for the poor. The Izzat ticket has been a success,” the Minister said.

The populist budget comes at a time when the Railways are facing a financial crunch.

UNI AR/NAZ SA RP1358