New Delhi: Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday unveiled a mix of populist measures, including cheap tickets for the poor and no increase in freight or passenger fares, and said her Ministry would put is social commitment above finances.
"People all over the country have high expectations from the railway budget," Banerjee told the Lok Sabha in her 65-minute speech setting the tone of the third Railway Budget of her career and the first for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
"Time has come when our economic and social philosophers have to change their old mindsets of economic viability and replace it with social viability and uplift," she said, proposing a plan expenditure of Rs 40,745 crore.
"Railways is an organisation with twin responsibilities: commercial and social. It will be our endeavour to render all commercial services with a human face," she said, quoting a couplet of Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore.
On track for passengers
Banerjee announced monthly season tickets of Rs 25 for people with monthly income of up to Rs 1,500 for travel up to 100 km.
Her proposals included introduction of 57 new train services, extension of 27 new trains and increase in frequency of 13 trains.
The "tatkal" or instant ticketing scheme, under which people could buy tickets five days before the date of journey, can now do so three days before departure. The service charges under the scheme have been lowered from Rs 150 to Rs.100.
She also proposed introduction of "Only Ladies" EMU trains in Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata suburban during office rush hours and low-cost AC trains 'Yuva' trains for the youth and low-income groups.
The concessional monthly season ticket pass for the unorganised sector has been named 'Izzat' (dignity), the 12 non-stop point-to-point train services have been named 'duranto' (quick).
All passenger trains will henceforth have a doctor on board, ticketing and reservation systems will be expanded to cover 800 new locations in addition to 800 existing ones, along with automatic vending machines at 200 locations.
(Next page: money for the Budget and higlights)
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The Minister also announced that 50 stations will be made world class and 375 others will be upgraded into model facilities improved amenities.
"Multi-functional complexes with shopping facilities, food stalls, budget hotels will be constructed at 50 railway stations that serve as centres of pilgrimage, tourist and industry," she said.
Another highlight was 12 new point-to-point, non-stop trains including Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Pune, Delhi-Allahabad, Delhi-Ernakulam, Bhubaneswar-Delhi, Howrah-Delhi, Delhi-Lucknow, Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Delhi-Allahabad and Kolkata-Amritsar.
The finances
The Budget estimates for 2009-10 projects a freight-loading target of 882 million tones--an increase of 49 million tonnes--and a six per cent increase in the number of passengers.
Gross traffic receipts have been estimated at Rs 88,419 crore, which is Rs 8,557 crore more than 2008-09.
Ordinary working expenses have been budgeted at Rs 62,900 crore to cover the full year impact of the Sixth Pay Commission and payment of arrears due in 2009-10.
Annual Plan for Railways for 2009-10 has been fixed at Rs 40,745 crore, which is an increase of Rs 2,840 crore on interim budget for the current year.
Outlay on new lines has been pegged at Rs 2,921 crore, while for gauge conversion, it is Rs 1,750 crore. Passenger amenities will get Rs 1,102 crore. A sum of Rs 335 crore has been allocated for staff quarters and Rs 424 crore for amenities.
Banerjee, looking to take advantage of the railway's vast property holdings, said land along the new freight corridor would be put to productive use, and also said the railway operator will resume issuance of tax-free bonds.
Over the five years through March 2009, India's railways generated a cash surplus of about $18.8 billion.
HIGHLIGHTS OF SPEECH
- Twelve non-stop, point-to-point trains between select cities to be introduced. The sections include: Howrah-Mumbai, Delhi-Lucknow, Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Pune, Delhi-Allahabad, Howrah-Delhi, Sealdah-Delhi and Ernakulum-Delhi.
- 50 railway stations, including CST Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Howrah, Sealdah, will be developed to have world-class facilties Rs.1,102 crore allocated towards improving passenger amenities Rs 500-crore increase in budgetary support in 2009-10 New "Yuva" fully air-conditioned train for youth Yuva fares Rs.299 up to a distance of 1,500 km and Rs.399 up to 2,500 km
- 309 out of 375 stations will be developed with modern facilities
- 50 stations at tourist, religious places to have integrated facilities
- Tatkal scheme for booking tickets to be reduced from five days to two days
- 200 automatic vending machines at key stations for selling tickets
- 50 mobile rail ticket vans to be introduced
- ATMs on 200 mid and small sized stations
- Passengers can now buy tickets at 5,000 post offices PAGE_BREAK
- Ladies' specials to be introduced in suburban trains during peak hours
- Railways will not be guided by economic viability, but by social commitment
- New factory in West Bengal for making 500 state-of-the-art coaches annually
- Committee under Sam Pitroda to commercialise railways' optic fibre network
- Railways to develop cold storages for farmers to store vegetables and fruits.
- Scheme named Izzjat for low income monthly travel till 100 kilometres.
- Superfast parcel express trains to be started on a pilot basis between Delhi and Chennai and Delhi and Mumbai.
- Priority areas to be railway catering, punctuality, food, sanity of rail bogeys.
- Banerjee says an expert committee will be set up to advise her on implementation of the so-called economically unviable but socially desired projects.
- Railways to extend helping hand to physically challenged and elderly people by providing ramps, specially designed bogeys
- Committed for the downtrodden & development of the country
- Infotainment facilities on Rajdhani Express trains for long-distance passengers
- One doctor to be posted on long distance trains, says Banerjee.
- Railways to extend helping hand to physically challenged and elderly people by providing ramps, specially designed bogeys
- Expert committee to be established to look into economic viability of socially important projects
- Railways to develop multi-functional complexes with shopping malls, food stalls, medicines and variety stores in different parts of the country
- Infotainment services to be provided in major long-distance trains
- SMS updates on wait-listed tickets to be introduced
- High-capacity, AC double-decker trains to be introduced on select inter-city routes
- Integrated security scheme rolled out for 140 vulnerable stations
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