Rly budget prioritises cleanliness, security
New Delhi, Jul 3: New Delhi, Jul 3: Carrying the Railway Budget in her jhola; Mamata Banerjee arrived at the Parliament to present her Third Railway Budget on Friday, Jul 3. Keeping her 'pro people' promise she introduced a list of reforms amid applause and murmur.
Starting off paying her respects to the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha, she set the foundation for her budget by noting that social viability was more important that economic viability.
The budget prioritised security, cleanliness, accessibility, catering, and availability of tickets in terms of where and by whom. Mamata Banerjee made sure, she had something for all sections. From the concessions on tickets of school children and media personnel to ensuring safety and security of women commuters.
Keeping aside all the big promises of 50 World class train stations to the AC Double deckers, one area that is worth noting is the special consideration that this budget gives to the Senior Citizens and the Physically handicapped.
Below are the highlights of the speech:
Mamata
Banerjee
ends
presentation
with
Urdu
Couplet.
1:32
PM
- Tatkal Booking time reduced from 5 to 2 days
No
increase
in
freight
charges
1:
22
PM
- Kolkata Metro to be expanded
Non
Stop
trains:Delhi-Lucknow,
Kolkata-Mumbai,
Delhi-Mumbai,
Delhi-Ernakulam,
Delhi-Sealdah,
Delhi-Bhubaneshwar,
Delhi-Jammu
Talwi,
Mum-Ahmedabad,
Delhi
-Chennai
1:17
PM
- 12 new AC non stop trains to be introduced
More super fast trains introduced
AC
Yuva
trains
to
be
introduced
at
Rs
299
to
Rs
399
1:10
PM
- Ladies Special trains in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai
Rs 25 monthly passes for those who earn the monthly salary of Rs 1000
Monthly ticket of Rs 25 for employees of unorganised sector
Media personnel to get 50 per cent concession
Madarasa students included in concession scheme
Farmers will get cold storage for their produce
'Ijjat' Scheme for low income monthly travel
Non
Stop
trains
to
connect
major
metros
1:03
PM
- The school children of Kolkata to get a discounts on tickets for Kolkata Metro
Mamata
Banerjee
requests
other
states
to
do
the
same
1:00
PM
- The total working expenditure estimated at Rs 81,685 cr
Targets
of
Interim
Budget
too
high
and
therefore
not
sustainable
12:57
PM
Interim Railway Budget 2009-10
- Integrated security system for 130 vulnerable stations
To raise commando battalion for railway stations
Women
Battalion
to
be
inducted
12:
53
PM
- Girl children of Group B employees to get Scholarship for higher education
A new coach factory to be set up in Kanchrapara in Bengal
Punctuality is one of the priority
SMS updates for passengers on waiting list
Mega
logistics
hubs
in
eastern
and
western
corridors
12:
46
PM
- Priority on catering, cleanliness, and accessibility
Railway to lease out more land for commercial purposes
Infotainment
services
on
long
distance
trains
12:42
PM
-309 of the 370 stations identified for development
At least one doctor to be present in long distance trains
Ramps
and
special
bogeys
for
physically
challenged
and
senior
members
12:35
PM
-Setting up of double decker coaches
Automatic vending machines o be set up
Passengers can now buy computerised tickets from post offices from 50,000 centres
Special facilities for physically challenged
Better toilet facilities for women at stations
49 stations of religious importance to be developed
Need balance between change and continuity
Mamata invokes Indira Gandhi
Promises all inclusive development
Requests set up of Expert committee on socially unviable projects
Rail
projects
will
be
governed
by
social
viability
and
should
not
be
gauged
by
economic
viability.
12:23
PM
-Mamta
Banerjee
starts
of
the
presentation
by
pointing
out
that
she
is
presenting
her
third
Railway
budget
in
the
Lok
Sabha
chaired
by
the
First
woman
Lok
Sabha
Speaker.
12:19
AM
-Mamata
Banerjee
arrives
at
the
Parliament.
12:10
PM
-Mamata
Banerjee
was
greeted
by
a
crowd
of
reporters
and
a
flood
of
questions
in
the
Rail
Bhawan;
while
on
her
way
to
the
Parliament.
The
session
is
expected
to
begin
at
12:00
pm.
11:00
AM
Expectations from the budget:
*
Budget
hotels
at
stations
*
Side
middle-berth
in
passenger
trains
may
go
*
Changes
in
the
Tatkal
booking
scheme
*
Waiver
on
superfast
charges
*
Revision
in
passenger
fares
on
the
cards
*
More
rail
overbridges
and
rail
underbridges
to
avoid
accidents
*
Special
package
for
those
in
the
BPL
category
*
CCTVs,
bomb
detection
system
in
key
stations
*
Access
control,
baggage
screening
*
Integrated
Security
systems
in
Key
Stations
*
Incentives
for
freight
transport
*
More
Garib
Raths
Mamata Banerjee set to present Rail Budget on Jul 3
After snatching the Railways from Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mamata Banerjee is all set to present the Railway Budget 2009-10.
Banerjee's
pro
people
budget
promises
include
fare
revision,
Garib
Raths,
funds
for
security,
seasonal
passes
measures
to
avoid
accidents,
along
with
her
now
famous,
Rs
20
monthly
passes.
This
page
will
carry
live
updates
of
the
budget
as
it
is
presented.
9:30
AM
Oneindia News