BJP says budget disapointing,Congress lauds as commanman's budget

Jaipur, Feb 26(UNI) Bharatiya Janata Party has termed the Railway budget presented today by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad as a ''disappointment'' for the State.

BJP state president Mahesh Sharma said even as the Railway Minister has announced 32 new trains in the budget, Rajasthan has received only four, of which three would start operation only after the ongoing gauge conversion works were completed.

He said the Railway Minister was lacking a long term prespective and vision for future.

The Railway Minister was found lacking a futuristic vision for developing rail infrastructure, electrification and freight traffic, which would be shifted to road and air pushing the future of Indian railways in the dark, he said.

The railways are in great need for a push to keep pace with the growing economy and to cater to the need of the growing passenge and freight traffic, just like the one that came during the NDA regime with the launch of pathbreaking road proejcts like the Golden Quatrilateral project.

Meanwhile, State Congress has hailed the railway budget as 'common man's budget' saying the Railway Minister has taken special care of the interest of the farmers and rural population.

Rajasthan Pradesh Congress President Dr B D Kalla, while welcoming the reduction in freight charges, expressed gratitude towards UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad.

Mr Kalla said the budget is in tune with the promise made by the UPA during the last parliamentary elections to provide soccur to the commonman.

RPCC General Secretary Mumtaz Masih, Youth Congress General Secretary Yogesh Yadav said the reduction in freight charges would help check inflation.

UNI