Click to play videoRailways Minister Mamata Banerjee says her 2010 Budget is "historic" and satisfies "99 percent of the people". Banerjee believes that though Railways will never allow privatisation, private companies can partner with it to make profits. "The Railway Budget is not Bengal centric," she insists. "I cannot satisfy all because I am not God. I am a common person. I am doing the maximum for Bihar, because Bihar is also my motherland and Maharashtra is also my motherland," she told CNN-IBN's Diptosh Majumdar.
Diptosh Majumdar: Within seven or eight months Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has presented another Santa Claus Budget. She has tried to please a large section of the people in different parts of the country. We have with us Railway Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee.
Minister, you have presented a very interesting Budget today--disturbed and interrupted but never flustered and never letting go of the hold you had on your Budget speech. Ms Banerjee, was it difficult?
Mamata Banerjee: It was not difficult. Our patience is very poor--everybody should have waited to see that everywhere something is there. We worked hard in these 15 days. Me, my personal staff could not sleep for almost 15 days.
I have received more than 5,000 requests and every request I scrutinized--can you imagine! Within this operational difficulties and within this infrastructure and within this financial limitation, whatever we can we worked out in every area.
I love my country, motherland--whatever I can (it was) done.
Diptosh Majumdar: Social viability is a major theme of Mamata Banerjee was laid down when she became Railway Minister about eight months back. But social viability at the cost of economic viability will it work in the long run?
Mamata Banerjee: Railways is a commercial organization, but it is a social organization also. When there is a drought or flood or natural disaster--I remember the tsunami days, the Gujarat earthquake--Railways carries freight free of cost. Railways is lifeline of the nation; we have social commitments. We have social and commercial obligations.
We do commercial obligation but social obligation is also there. If you say that I will only go to the potential area and not the non-potential area, it will not look nice.
I believe in the theory that if there is no railway line, then how will life improve. If there is no railway line then the economic line is out. The railway line has economic potential. I discussed this matter with our Prime Minister--he was kind and gave guidance to us. I think there are some areas where Railways has not reached till now. There are some projects pending for long, and have been rejected by the Planning Commission on ROR (rate of return) basis. But I have seen that now dedicated freight corridors are coming--because of negligence some places are shouting (for) separate state--
Diptosh Majumdar: You have raised the issue of freight corridor; you are talking about public-private partnership and yet you are saying privatization will not be allowed in the railways.
How do the two fit in?
Mamata Banerjee: It (public-private partnership) will suit us very well. I am proud of my 14 lakh employees. You will be happy to know we involve in every matter our employees union and the officers union. We are not going for the privatization of the Railway, but at the same time how to earn money.
Only passenger money (fare) is it possible to increase railway lines? Only from freight corridor money is it possible to have new trains? Is it possible from the money we earn from there to have new infrastructure? No, we cannot. Land is our asset. We are not going to sell the land (but) surplus land--which is not required for operational purpose--if we can give that land and private investment can come.
Diptosh Majumdar: But how will you find such free land in the freight corridor area? What guarantee is there?
Mamata Banerjee: After joining this Ministry I set up a land bank. We have earmarked land for development, from that 21,000 acres we are giving for dedicated freight corridor—it is ready. Why I am saying is that private investor should come and invest money--because we are not privatizing or corporatising the railways.
But to earn more money, to improve revenue infrastructure, to improve infrastructure we have to utilize our land. There is a new business model we are going to set up. That business model is from new line to port connectivity, new line to coal mines connectivity, new line to industrial hub connectivity, new line to IT hub connectivity, new line to tourism connectivity, new line to everywhere.
Business is ready, infrastructure is ready, model is ready, economy is ready--and no consultation is needed--so I will request industrial houses to come, join and invest their money and get their economic share.
We have to be very positive--sometimes industrialists want to invest their money but the technical process--tender process, this process and that process--is very difficult. That is why I will discuss this matter with the Prime Minister, Planning Commission and Finance Ministry. Within 100 days we must clear a project so that money is coming sky high.
Diptosh Majumdar: But are bottling plants, museums the core areas of the Railways?
Mamata Banerjee: Why not? These days we have to go for the competition. We have Rail Neer (Railways’ bottled water). Do you know its price? Twelve rupees, but competition is offering five rupees. If you want to give cheap drinking water to passengers, don’t you go for competiton? If I can give it for five rupees then there is a need, it is a new business area.
Museums? Railways has 14 lakh employees. Do you think that they will only work day and night? No cultural activity, no music, no football, no play, no relaxation for them? They are also human beings. That is why I feel music academy is needed for them, cultural programme is needed for them
Diptosh Majumdar: Lalu Prasad has said again that you have done too much for West Bengal. Do you--
Mamata Banerjee: I have done Madhepura, Nalanda, Bodh Gaya, Chhapra. I love Bihar. I gave a train Howrah to Darbhanga—if I don’t give a train to Bihar people will beat me. Maximum Bihari people are living in my area, Bengal. Nithish Kumar told me you clear Madhepura (project), you give train for Howrah to Darbhanga.
I am doing the maximum for Bihar, because Bihar is also my motherland and Maharashtra is also my motherland--Orissa, Karnataka.
I cannot satisfy all because I am not God. I am a common person. This time it is historic (Rail Budget)--we worked every inch, every area but you can never satisfy all the people. If not, you can satisfy some of the people and we have satisfied 99 percent of the people.
Diptosh Majumdar: But you agree that you have done a lot for West Bengal and your constituency?
Mamata Banerjee: I have done for all--my constituency needs nothing; my people are okay. Bengal has only one Ministry Cabinet. Tamil Nadu has, including (P) Chidambaram, five; Maharashtra five-six (Ministers).
What I have given to Bengal, had it been someone else all would have gone (speaks in Hindi). Why have I given wagon industry to Cuttack? Why have I given it (projects) to Chennai, Bangalore? Then you don’t say anything.
Don’t ask me all these questions! Sometimes I feel there are some people who are anti-Bengali and they behave like it. I don’t love it because I love the entire country.
Diptosh Majumdar: There is so much emphasis on Tagore in your speech today--
Mamata Banerjee: This is because his 150th anniversary is approaching.
Diptosh Majumdar: What I am asking is that will Tagore also be the cultural symbol of Trinamool Congress in days to come?
Mamata Banerjee: He (Tagore) is a world heritage symbol. He is the only poet who has written two national anthems. If not, then why do we do Jana Gana Mana when parliament starts or when President addresses the parliament. Tagore is not my property. He is country’s property. I am proud to say Punjab, Sindh, Gujrat Maratha, Dravida utkala banga... So, from Punjab to Bengal, he is known to all.
Diptosh Majumdar: Ok. Two questions in which I am going to away from the railway budget: 1. Mr Chidambaram has made it absolutely clear that he is not willing to talk to the Maoists as long as they come unconditionally and get in touch with them. What do you have to say about it?
Mamata Banerjee: Today it is my rail budget. I don’t know anything about it. It is for the Home Ministry to take any decision. I always feel that in a democratic process, there should be political negotiation and instead of using arms, I want peace.
Diptosh Majumdar: But, in your budget there is a focus also on these Maoist [affected] areas which you are trying to develop.
Mamata Banerjee: I am giving so much development thing to Telangana region and Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and Purulia. Everywhere wherever there has been negligence.
Diptosh Majumdar: One thing that everyone wants to know is that of 1000 kms. How will you work this out finally?
Mamata Banerjee: If you see the list, you will find that we have earmarked the areas where if we can give full money, it would be completed in these areas. Somewhere it is 5 kms, somewhere it is 45 kms. So, whatever will be the money reserved, we will work it out and we have listed it. You see the budget. It is listed already. We are transparent. Accountability is out mission. That is why we have given the details of the area. How many route kilometers and how we are funding.
Diptosh Majumdar: You have also mentioned that you pay half for the GRP. Yet your trains are attacked. You have pointed that out.
Mamata Banerjee: I said that Law and order is a state subject. Some people can think that if anything happens, it is the railways that is responsible. The unfortunate or fortunate part of that assumption is that law and order is a state subject according to constitutional obligation. And we give 50 percent salary from the railway to the GRPF to take care for security. We have RPF also but 17000 trains we run, 8000 stations and 18 million people everyday. But our RPF strength is only 65,000. Also, they do not take law and order security in their own hands. So, we give more money to state governments and I want that the RPF should be strong also. We will discuss it later on.
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