BJP flays Rail Budget for creating 'regional imbalances'

New Delhi, Mar 12 (UNI) The BJP today criticised the Railway Budget for ''creating regional imbalances'' by neglecting the high revenue generating Southern states and said issues like safety and security had been overlooked.

Initiating the discussion on the railway budget 2007-08 vote on account in the Rajya Sabha, BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said the turnaround that the railways was witnessing was due to the efforts made during the previous NDA regime led by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

He said the present government was claiming the benefits of the solid foundation laid by former Railway Minister Nitish Kumar.

This was vehemently disputed by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Minister of State for Railways Velu, Company Affairs Minister Premchand Gupta and RJD leader Ramdeo Singh Bhandari who charged the BJP with trying to mislead the house.

''You planted babool so can't hope to get the sweet fruits of mango. I planted mango, so I will get mango,'' Mr Prasad said and wanted to know the reason for constitution of the Rakesh Mohan Committee during NDA regime.

However, Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, who was in the chair, urged the minister and treasury bench members not to interfere as the opposition had the right to raise issues and they could reply later. BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said the opposition could also interrupt the minister when he spoke.

On this, Mr Prasad retorted, ''Main gagar main sagar bhar doonga (I will fill sea in the pot) like I did in the Lok Sabha.'' Mr Naidu claimed that the aspirations of states like Kerala, Karanataka and Andhra Pradesh were neglected in the railway budget, creating resentment among the people of these states but the Railway Minister had not done anything about it.

Stating that Mr Prasad had made all efforts to provide railway connectivity to the native place of his in-laws in Bihar, the BJP leader said similar efforts should have been made for the people of other states and regions.

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