RAILWAY BUDGET 2009
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Mamata's Budget Express
Published on Fri, Jul 03, 2009 at 16:13, Updated on Sat, Jul 04, 2009 at 13:15 in 
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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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nothing to say last 60 years we are suffering,and CPIM made our state into a hell...
thanks anyway and
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Small wonder Mamata is christened the Railway Minister of Bengal. When will her grandiose plans for development of railway network
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MAMTA LOOKS SO TIRED-DIDNT SHE SLEEP WELL ON TRRAIN FROM KOLKATTA? AH THE NOISE ? SOUND PROOF TRAINS FOR HARDWORKING
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The idea to give concessional season tickets for Rs.25/- to persons with monthly income less than Rs.1500/- will be grossly
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KHODA PAHAR NIKALEE CHUHIYA --THIS IS HOW THE MUCH TOUTED RAIL BUDGET COULD BE SUMARISED IN A NUTSHELL.
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