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NEW DELHI SATURDAY | FEBRUARY 26, 2011 rail budget 05

Opp fumes as Mamata runs poll express


‘YOU DON’T SHOUT WHEN when I speak about Bengal,” the State, she defended the HIGHLIGHTS
I SPEAK ABOUT GUJARAT. she countered. project saying it will require ■ New Super AC Class to be ■ GPS Based ‘Fog Safe’ Device to be
Mamata’s compulsions are only 100 acres of land where- introduced deployed
YOU DON’T SHOUT WHEN I quite clear. Bengal goes to poll as Tatas had wanted 1000 acres.
REFER TO MANIPUR OR a couple of months from now Though Mamata would ■ A new portal for e-ticketing to be ■ Feasibility study to raise speed of passenger
KERALA’ and she does not want to leave try hard to drive home the launched shortly trains to 160-200 kmph to be undertaken
KUMAR UTTAM n NEW DELHI any stone unturned before the point that she was not opposed ■ Booking charges to be cheaper ■ All India Security Help line on a single
biggest fight of her life time. to industries, her PPP projects with a charge of only `10 for AC number set up
ailway Minister Mamata Gradually losing its grip has definitely failed to invoke classes and `5 for others ■ All State capitals in the North-East except
R Banerjee is best when it over the electorate in Bengal, the desire enthusiasm in the
TATIO
N ■ Pan-India multi-purpose smart card Sikkim to be connected by Rail in next seven
T S AL ‘Go India’ to be introduced years
comes to speaking for her the Left is facing a stiff chal- industry. But she disagreed
home State — West Bengal. lenge from Mamata, whose and suggested as many as 85 NEX G
BEN
■ 236 more stations to be upgraded as ■ 18,000 wagons to be procured during
The Railway Minister came last two budgets have also projects, for which the Railways Adarsh Stations 2011-12
under sharp attack from mem- seen Bengal getting a major have entered into agreement
bers of the Lok Sabha for pre- share of the cake. So, the Left with different PSUS, were ■ 47 additional suburban services in ■ A scheme for socially desirable projects,
senting a Budget that was like chose to take wind out of under consideration. She did Mumbai and 50 new suburban services ‘Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana’ with non-
an “election manifesto”, but Mamata’s sail by questioning not offer any reason why none proposed for Kolkata lapsable fund proposed
she confronted them in her the financial viability of pro- of it could see the light of the ■ Anti-Collision Devise (ACD) ■ Medical facilities extended to dependent
Now bdi
trademark firebrand style. jects announced by her. day in all these years. ta sanctioned to cover eight parents of the Railway employees
Sha r Us
“Yes, I am proud of my Countering CPI(M)’s alle- This would be perhaps fo zonal railways ■ Scholarship for girl child of Group-D railway
State. I will do it (for West gations that she had made Mamata’s last Railway budget employees increased to `1,200 per month
Bengal) along with other States Railways bankrupt, she said, though she prefers not to ■ NO FARE HIKE ■ 20 additional hostels for children of railway
of my country,” Banerjee said, “Their Government (in West comment on what now looks
employees to be set up
as MPs from Bihar trooped into Bengal) is bankrupt. It has `2 almost certain — the Left’s ■ SOPS FOR ALL
the Well of the House shouting lakh crore debt. Charity begins ouster from Writer’s Building. ■ Recruitment for 1.75 lakh vacancies of
slogans about Mamata’s ‘pro- at home.” “You will have to ask God for Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ including to fill up backlog of
SC/ST initiated, 16,000 ex-servicemen to be
Illustration: NIrjhar

Bengal’ Budget. On the proposed rail coach that. I am not in a position to


“You don’t shout when I factor y in Singur where comment,” she replied on inducted by March 2011
speak about Gujarat. You don’t protests by Trinamool being asked whether she ■ A separate sports cadre to be created
shout when I refer to Manipur Congress led to the shifting of would present the next ■ 2011-12 declared ‘Year of Green
or Kerala. Why you shout only the Tata’s Nano project out of Railway Budget as well. Energy’ for Railways

New Express trains proposed PICKING UP SPEED


in Railway Budget
for 2011-12 Kolkata: Railways Tamil Nadu plays second Kochi finds publicity
to Writers Building fiddle to West Bengal
PNS n KOLKATA
lacks feasibility
plans to create jobs will materi- Kochi: Reactions from Kerala to consider the needs of Kerala
alise soon.” PNS n CHENNAI Dwarka and Tiruchirapally and the proposals in Union Minister and had refused to look into
olkata tended to give out a Though some MPs con- a tourist train Janma Bhoomi Mamata Banerjee’s 2011-12 the 12 demands of the State laid
K mixed reaction on what
looked like the “final” Budget
fronted the Railway Minister in
the House for doing everything G oing into elections in two
months, Tamil Nadu was a
Gaurav (Chennai-Puducherry-
Tir uchirapally-Madurai-
Railway Budget presented on
Friday were of mixed nature
out in a priority list that was
presented to the Minister well
delivered by Railway Minister for Bengal instead of “some- major recipient of sops Kanyakumari-Thiruv with several people hailing the before the presentation of the
■ Raebareli-Jaunpur Express (daily) Mamata Banerjee before leading thing”, at Howarah, she found announced by the Union Railway ananthapuram-Ernakulam- decision not to hike fares but budget. MB Rajesh, CPI(M)
■ Tirupati-Amravati Express (bi-weekly) via Akola, Nizamabad, Gooty, to the Writer’s Building. a strong backing from the Minister Mamata Banerjee. Chennai) connecting historical others viewing it as a document MP, alleged that Mamata
Dharmavaram While the Congress leaders commuters-cutting across polit- The sops include five express places are among the other with pre-poll gimmicks which Banerjee had refused to meet
■ Asansol-Gorakhpur Express (weekly) via Chhapra, Siwan would not speak much barring ical affiliation-who marveled at trains, though only one is with- new trains. was full of declarations and no the Kerala Law Minister to dis-
■ Nagpur-Kolhapur Express (bi-weekly) via Kurduwadi, Lathur road, congratulating Finance how a lone woman was fight- in Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore- Banerjee announced that practical approach as far as the cuss the State’s needs.
Purna, Akola Minister Pranab Mukherjee ing out so many MPs “for the Tuticorin). Two of the express the capacity expansion of the State was concerned. The Railway Passengers
for standing solidly behind sake of Bengal.” trains connect the capital of Integral Coach Factory that Chief Minister VS Association welcomed the bud-
■ Malda Town-Digha Express (weekly) via Rampurhat
Mamata during her hour of cri- People glossed over the Vanniayar land Villupuram to was announced in the last year’s Achuthanandan termed the get as one that had shown good
■ Pune-Nanded Express (weekly) via Latur sis the Left poured venom on Railway’s performance chart in West Bengal and one each to Budget would become opera- Railway Budget as disappoint- consideration for the State.
■ Visakhapatnam-Koraput Intercity Express (5 days a week) via her for “using the Railways to last two years whence the Mysore and Shirdi. tional this year. She also ing. He said the two railway The announcement of 12 new
Vizianagram win elections in Bengal.” Department failed to start let While the train for announced the laying of two projects granted for Kerala trains for Kerala would be
■ Howrah-Secunderabad Express (weekly) via Kharagpur At Howrah and Sealdah sta- alone complete not even 25 per Coimbatore-Tuticorin, con- new lines in Sriperumbudur- long back - coach factory at helpful in reducing the diffi-
■ Mumbai-Chandigarh Express (weekly) via Phulera-Ringus-Gurgaon- tions, scores eagerly watched cent of the total projects necting western part of the Gumidipundi and Palakkad and a wagon manu- culties in travels the people
Kurukshetra the Parliament proceedings on declared for the State. This State to south-east parts, is a Mannargudi-Pudukottai. Stress facturing unit in Cherthala, were facing it said. However,
television screens. For a common included the prestigious Kachra daily train while the others are has been laid on Chennai sub- Alappuzha - should have been the association complained
■ Bardhaman-Rampurhat Express (tri-weekly) man like Shivhari Sharma, who Para project. The people also weekly. Mysore and Shirdi urban railway with new services commissioned by now if the that the budget had neglected
■ Bikaner-Delhi Superfast Intercity (daily) via Ratangarh was sprinting to catch a Naihati- ignored the politics behind connection would be a popu- announced that include Minister had been serious the Malabar region.
■ Hyderabad-Darbhanga Express (weekly) via Muri-Jharsuguda-Nagpur bound local train, stopped for a announcing an industrial park lar connection while West Chennai Beach-Gumm about them. State Congress president
■ Howrah-Tirupati Express (weekly) while at Sealdah station and in Nandigram, a metro railway Bengal patients will have bet- idipundi, Gum Almost all the Left leaders Ramesh Chennithala wel-
■ Narsapur-Nagarsol Express (bi-weekly) via Secunderabad, Nizamabad declared: It looks so helplessly coach factory at Singur and a ter access to the famed Vellore midipundi-Chennai Central, aired opinions similar to those comed the Railway budget,
befooling. “The Railways should software park at Darjeeling — CMC Hospital with the Avadi-Chennai Beach, Chennai of Achuthanandan. Law terming it as people-friendly
■ Puri-Shalimar Express (weekly) first complete the past projects the three Achilles’ heels of an ail- Villupuram-bound trains that Central-Tiruvallur and Minister M Vijayakumar, who and attractive. He said that the
■ Ranchi-Pune Express (bi-weekly) via Bilaspur before promising”, he said as he ing Marxist Government. would go via Vellore. Tiruvallur-Chennai Central. was also looking after the budget showed that the
■ Shalimar-Udaipur Express (weekly) via Katni, Kota launched himself into a packed CPI(M) central committee Two Duronto trains have The Chennai Beach-Tambaram Railways affairs in the State, Minister had “blessed” the
■ Chennai-Shirdi Express (weekly) via Bangalore compartment. member Md Salim wondered been added to the State list: service is proposed to be said the 12 new trains allotted State by announcing several
■ Coimbatore-Tuticorin Link Express (daily) But the more plucky ones how the Railway Minister could Madurai-Chennai and a much- extended to Chengalpattu. for Kerala would most proba- new initiatives. According to
like Rajen Bamhachari were still announce a project without get- needed Chennai- However, what many people bly be confined to the Congress MP PT Thomas, the
■ Howrah-Mysore Express (weekly) via Gondia, Adilabad not prepared to lose hope as he ting any land at Singur or for that Thiruvananthapuram. A daily feel is that the concentration has Minister’s declaration if one Budget created a feeling that
■ Yesvantpur-Mysore Express (daily) said, “Till Mamata is there we are matter how she would be able to passenger between Coimbatore been mostly for north Tamil went by the earlier experience. there was nothing more
■ Digha-Visakhapatnam Express (weekly) sure she will do something for acquire land at Nandigram “her and Mettupalayam (foothills of Nadu, while the southern dis- Vijayakumar said that the Keralites would need to ask for.
■ Mysore-Chennai Express (weekly) Bengal. I am confident that her own Frankenstein’s monster.” Ooty), a Vivek Express between tricts are not adequately covered. Railway Minister had failed to PNS
■ Ahmedabad-Yesvantpur AC Express (weekly) via Hubli, Bijapur

Where’s `1L cr profit OPP FROWNS....CONG SMILES


■ Bhavnagar-Kochuvelli Express (weekly) via Panvel, Madgaon
■ Gorakhpur-Yesvantpur Express (weekly) via Faizabad, Kanpur,
Bhopal Kacheguda
■ Bhuj-Dadar Express (bi-weekly)
PM pats Mamata’s
■ Kolkata-Ajmer Express (weekly) via Asansol
■ Jabalpur-Indore Intercity Express (tri-weekly) via Guna, Bina
■ Porbander-Kochuveli Express (weekly) via Panvel, Madgaon
gone, wonders Nitish CPM tears Didi apart, says back for job well done
■ Kolkata-Agra Express (weekly) via Kasganj, Mathura
■ Lucknow-Bhopal Express (weekly)
AMARNATH TEWARY n PATNA ‘litany of broken promises’ PNS n NEW DELHI

ven as he termed Mamata PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n NEW DELHI rime Minister
■ Varanasi-Singrauli Intercity Express (daily)
■ Nagpur-Bhusawal Express (tri-weekly) via Itarsi-Khandwa
E Banerjee’s Railway Budget as
disappointing, Bihar Chief s expected, arch rival CPI(M) showed
P Manmohan Singh
on Friday lauded
■ Puri-Gandhidham Express (weekly) via Durg
■ Howarh-Visakhapatnam Express (weekly)
Minister Nitish Kumar on
Friday took a dig at his archri-
A no mercy to Mamata Banerjee’s Railway
Budget. Within minutes after the presen-
Railway Minister
Mamata Banerjee for a
■ Guwahati-Dimapur Express (daily) val Lalu Prasad. He wondered tation of the budget on Friday, CPI (M) lead- “commendable job” by
■ Howrah-Darbhanga Express (weekly) where the `1 lakh-crore profit ers termed it as “cunningly juggled” figures. not increasing the pas-
that the Railways had made dur- By evening, the party headquarter’s senger fare in the
■ Vasco-Velankani Express (weekly) ing the tenure of Mamata’s pre- demand for a Duronto train researchers came out with a four page doc- Railway budget and
■ Bilaspur-Ernakulam Superfast (weekly) decessor (Lalu) had disappeared. Patna to New Delhi was ument on unfulfilled promises of the pre- CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury addressing a Press said that she has taken
■ Digha-Puri Express (weekly) “Though, I’ve not gone ignored and was given for vious Railway budget titled “Litany of bro- conference on Railways Budget 2011-12 on Friday PTI care to increase
■ Jodhpur-Delhi Express (bi-weekly) via Degana, Ratangarh through the budget thorough- Shalimar in West Bengal. ken promises”. The party’s highest body, “Announcements of projects without investment in critical
■ Kharagpur-Viluppuram Express (weekly) via Vellore ly I can say that it was a disap- “Though some of the trains politburo’s lengthy statement titled “Indian any specific plan outlay or time schedule areas of infrastructure PM Manmohan Singh
pointing budget. Nirasajanak we’d requested for have been Railway on ruinous path,” followed which amounts to a farce. The 6 high speed pas- to sustain growth. comes out of Parliament
■ Udaipur-Bandra (T) Express (tri-weekly)via Ratlam hai. Things are not clear…looks given to us,” he said. termed Mamata’s budget presentation as a senger corridors announced in 2010 Budget Finance Minister after Railway Budget
■ Purulia-Viluppuram Express (weekly) via Midnapore, Kharagpur, Vellore hotchpotch”, said Nitish. He also said that earlier he “fraudulent exercise”. and forgotten this year is a prime example,” Pranab Mukherjee too Alwin Singh | Pioneer
■ Asansol-Gonda Express (weekly) via Chhapra, Mau, Shahganj, Ayodhya Nitish, who himself has had written letters to the Railway “The CPI (M) considers the Railway it maintained. It is clear that under the stew- said that though the
■ Delhi-Puducherry Express (weekly) been the Railway Minister, Minister requesting her to com- Budget presented in Parliament today as a ardship of the Railway Minister Mamata Railways face resource crunch due to imple-
■ Asansol-Tatanagar Express (tri-weekly) via Purulia said he failed to understand plete the railway projects pend- fraudulent exercise aimed at window dress- Banerjee, Indian Railways is on a ruinous mentation of the Sixth Pay Commission report
how the budget was prepared. ing for a long time in Bihar. “In ing the pathetic state of Railway finances and path. Is the Prime Minister allowing this to and increase in diesel prices, many projects have
■ Indore-Kota Intercity Express (daily) via Ruthiyai “When I was the Railway Digha, rail bridge project start- announcing sundry projects, which will happen due to “compulsions of coalition been launched. “Moreover, Mamata had to face
■ Bhagalpur-Ajmer Express (weekly) Minister I used to look at the ed in 2002 a rail road has also to never take off the ground. The Railways is politics”? The CPI(M) asked. pressure from all MPs, so she had a very diffi-
■ Howrah-Jaisalmer Express (weekly) via Raebareli, Ratangarh, Lalgarh projects and plans declared be constructed and the state gov- actually facing a financial crisis,” the polit- CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the cult job. But she has done good,” he said.
■ Ernakulam-Bangalore Express (weekly) during previous year’s Budget ernment is ready to do its part buro said. “The Railway Budget of 2010 had Railway Minister has played with figures to The Congress also lauded Mamata for
■ Mangalore-Palghat Intercity Express (daily)
and discuss them but I did not but it is still pending”, said announced numerous projects, from world project an operating ratio of 91.1 per cent showing sensitivity towards the common man
find this practice to be followed Nitish Kumar. class stations, to railway coach and loco fac- for 2011-12 which he claimed has touched to which the UPA Government is totally com-
■ Varanasi-Ahmedabad Express (weekly) via Ajmer now”, he told mediapersons. “If railway is passing tories, wagon and axle units, power plants, 115 per cent at present. mitted by not increasing fares. Congress
■ Howrah-Nanded Express (weekly) “Even I could not under- through an economic crisis as auto hubs, sports complexes, hospitals and “Railways have paid `1700 crore less as spokesperson Manish Tewari congratulated the
■ Hardwar-Ramnagar Link Express (tri-weekly) stand the Budget but looking at cited by the present Railway so on. It is clear from Budget 2011, that these dividend,” and has therefore been able to Railway Minister for her “frank” admission of
it overtly it appears that Bihar Minister we wonder where has announcements were mere gimmicks show an improved operating ratio, he said the challenges before the Ministry that the
NEW ARRIVALS has been neglected,” he said
even as he lamented that his
all the money gone. It’s been a
puzzle for us,” he said.
which have either been recycled this year
or conveniently forgotten.
adding “She has played tricks with figures
and has cunningly juggled with statistics.”
Railways have come out of its difficulties and
is on a development path.
3 SHATABDI EXPRESS
l Pune-Secunderabad
l Jaipur-Agra
MAYAWATI SLAMS BUDGET FOR IGNORING UP
Lucknow: Calling Union Railway Budget as ‘Bengal Budget’ Chief
Minister Mayawati said that Union Railway Minister Mamata
POLL MANIFESTO, SAYS BJP
New Delhi: Terming the Railway
Budget as an “election manifesto” for
Maharashtra up, Mumbai down
l Ludhiana-Delhi
Banerjee has neglected Uttar Pradesh by not declaring project for the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly TN RAGHUNATHA n MUMBAI 47 additional services on the Thane-Vashi,
AC DOUBLE-DECKER SERVICES this state during her budget speech. polls, BJP said that it has “ignored” the Thane-Panvel, Borivali-Virar, Andheri-
l Jaipur-Delhi She said that Railway Minister neither introduced new trains rest of the country. “Mamata Banerjee’s ailway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Virar, Bandra-Virar and Churchgate-
l Ahmedabad-Mumbai routes for religious or historically important cities of the State nor
announced any new project for the State. “This shows the bias of
Rail Budget is like an election mani-
festo. The entire focus is on West
R Budget evoked a mixed response
from Mumbaikars, while people elsewhere
Borivali corridors, a proposal to augment
107 suburban services in the metropoli-
9 DURONTO TRAINS l Madurai-Chennai AC
(bi-weekly) the Union Government towards Uttar Pradesh,” she said in a writ- Bengal, and the rest of India has been in the State had more than a reason to be tan area from the present nine car EMUs
l Allahabad-Mumbai AC ten statement on Friday. tot a lly neg le c te d,” BJP G enera l happy with her announcements. to 12 car EMUs.
(bi-weekly) l Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram “It is not all. The Minister has also not given any assurance to Secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters Apart from introducing seven new Disappointed president of Mumbai
l Pune-Ahmedabad AC AC (bi-weekly) complete the on-going electrification of rail routes as well laying on Friday. Kumar said the Railway trains, bi-weekly Duronto trains from Suburban Railway Passengers’ Association
(tri-weekly) l Mumbai Central-New Delhi double track in many zones in the State. There should have been Budget should be scientifically formu- Mumbai to Allahabad and Pune to Deepak Gandhi said: “Mumbai suburban
l Sealdah-Puri non-AC AC (bi-weekly) a clear-cut assurance that this work would be over within a spec- lated and should give credence to the Ahmadabad and starting double-decker passengers will get zero benefits. There is
(tri-weekly) l Nizamuddin-Ajmer non-AC ified period of time while the fact is that many of these projects regional balance and development of AC services between Mumbai and no respite for them as not much has been
l Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam (bi-weekly) are running behind schedule, “Mayawati, who is also national pres- infrastructure all over the country. Ahmadabad, Mamata came out with two done in terms of increasing services for lakh
AC (tri-weekly) l Shalimar-Patna (tri-weekly) ident of Bahujan Samaj Party”, said. PNS PNS major Mumbai-specific announcements: of passengers who travel everyday”.

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