'Brake fail' budget, extra burden on Bengal, says Trinamool

Kolkata, Feb 26: West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday threatened to launch a protest movement against the NDA government's second railway budget, calling it a "brakefail" document and rued that passenger fares were not decreased despite the easing of diesel prices.

In a reaction posted on the party's website, the Trinamool also sharply criticised the increase in freight rates and expressed concern that it would jack up prices of essential and in turn "affect housewives and farmers".

"This is a brake-fail budget. This is a clerical and casual approach at a budget. We will protest against Rail Budget 2015," it said.

Iterating that parliament was not taken into confidence before announcements on projects, the party said: "The government hiked passenger fares by 25 percent few months back. Although diesel prices are down, fares have not been decreased."

Ridiculing Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's announcements on cleanliness, the Trinamool said "Swachh Bharat cannot be achieved with only a broom. Ideas should also be there."

The party termed the announcements on safety, and anti-collision devices as old ideas.

It also pulled up the rail minister for "depriving" and putting extra burden on West Bengal, saying projects worth hundreds of crores of rupees was stuck in the state while the allocation stood at less than one percent.

"There is no mention of Metro Railway projects in the annexure of the Rail Budget 2015. Bengal is already deprived. Now extra burden has been imposed on the state through state-centre joint ventures," the Trinamool said.

IANS