Interim Railway budget a 'sham', says Trinamool Congress

Kolkata, Feb 12: Trinamool Congress today described the interim Railway Budget as a 'sham', saying that an outgoing government had no right to frame policies or place budgets.

The party's national general secretary, Mukul Roy, said, "This government has no moral or ethical right to place a railway budget. This is just a vote on-account for day to day expenses till a new government takes oath."

Roy, a former railway minister, was giving his reaction to the Interim Budget placed by incumbent Mallikarjun Kharge in the Lok Sabha today. Referring to the general elections due in a few months, Roy said, "This government, the term of which will expire soon, has no right to place a budget for the Railways or to frame policies."

"They have given false hopes and made promises which they have no right to make. They have done this only to confuse, cheat and make fun of the people of the country," he said referring to the speech given by the Railway Minister before the Interim Budget was placed.

Roy feels it is only proper that the government which will come for the next five years will decide on the future course of action and frame policies. "This government has cheated not just the people of West Bengal, but the whole country," he claimed.

"In 2009, 2010 and 2011 the people of Bengal have seen what Mamata Banerjee as Railway Minister did for their benefit by starting new connectivity projects, metro railways, new trains and industries," Roy said.

Roy was the Railway Minister for just six months from March 20, 2012, after Dinesh Trivedi was unceremoniously removed by Banerjee immediately after placing the Railway Budget for 2012-13, where passenger fares were hiked against the Trinamool Congress' stated policy. Roy's term ended after the Trinamool Congress withdrew from the Congress-led UPA II government in September, 2012. Banerjee had handed over the Railways baton to Trivedi when she took over as Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2011.

PTI