Railways to provide facilities for pregnant women

New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) The humane dimension of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's personality came to the fore today when he announced his Ministry was planning special facilities for pregnant women who deliver while travelling in trains.

''We will soon come out with a complete package on the upkeep of the babies delivered on trains. Complete medical and nursing facilities will be provided,'' Mr Yadav said during his reply to the debate on the Railway Budgets proposals.

He said the Railways would work out special facilities, including possibly a separate coach for expecting mothers. However, until such ticket examiners will be instructed to render all possible help and doctors would be made avialble at the nearest railway station.

The 45-minute long speech was punctuated with rustic wit and cryptic remarks. He drew a parallel between the Budgets presented by his predecessors by Nitish Kumar with a 'babool' tree which bears no fruit.

The Minister amused the House when he mimicked vendors on railway stations by reciting their chorus. ''Chai, garam chai; agre ka petha lelo'.

Mr Prasad did not even spare newspapers, saying they had made his caricature depicting that 'kachori' had become costlier because of his budget. The Minister quipped that the Budgetr proposals had yet to take effect then how could commodities sold on the railway stations become more expensive.

The Minister, known to be a believer of alternate systems of medicine and faith healers, gave a leafs from the book of naturopathy.

UNI