Formulated with social responsibility as the key ingredient, Railway Budget 2010 was tabled in the Parliament on Wednesday, Feb 24 by Mamata Banerjee.
The minister, who was presenting her second Railway budget under the incumbent UPA government, addressed various issues such as connectivity, expansion, security, revenue and investment through Vision 2020.
The railways has set some ambitious goals and targets such as saying of 1,000 km of new rail line in a year, manning all the unmanned bridges in five years and the flagging off of 117 trains in 7 months among others.
Mamata's populist budget style remained as she announced that there won't be any hike in the passenger fares besides annoucning several concession schemes for various sections of the society.
Mamata Banerjee Railway Budget Speech |
Railway Budget 2009-10
However, the Bengal-bias of the minister earned ire and criticism not only of the Opposition but also of the country.
Since elections are coming up in the state, the railway minister and Trinamool Congress chief is believed have centred the railway budget around West Bengal. This has not fit in well with the people from other states who feel that they have been ignored.
Even though the Railway Budget 2010 may not have been received as well as the Mamata's first Railway Budget 2009-10, some of the schemes such as the concession for Cancer patients, invitation to India's business community to fuel expansion of the railways, priority to security and social responsibility, focus on northeastern India may appease the common man.
