Rail budget to focus on the Northeast:Lalu

Chhapra, Feb 10 (UNI) Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today indicated that the thrust of the new railway budget would be on improving rail connectivity to far flung areas besides providing better amenities for passengers.

After flagging off Chhapra-Chennai Ganga Kaveri express here, Mr Prasad said that several new proposals were under consideration for incorporating in the rail budget which would begin a new era of qualitative change in amenities for the passengers.

He, however, declined to elaborate saying that such premature disclosure on budget proposal would tentamount to breach of privilage of Parliament members.

Mr Prasad shortlisted the northeastern states including Asom, Orissa, Kerala, North Bihar and North Bengal for giving priority in respect of expansion of railway network and said that special dispensation had become necessary for northeastern states with a view to bringing the people living there, to the mainstream of Indian society.

Mr Prasad said that the process of acquisition of land for the proposd locomotive factory was on and the foundation stone would be laid during the current month.

He lambasted the state government for poor implementation of several development and welfare schemes launched by the Centre and said that the Nitish Kumar government was trying to take political mileage from the Centrally sponsored schemes by changing its nomenclatures.

UNI