Click to play videoRailway Minister Mamata Banerjee presented Railway Budget in Parliament on Friday without any hike in fares and freight charges. The other pro-people proposals include cheaper tatkal tickets, 12 non-stop trains between big cities under the name Duronto, air conditioned double-decker intercity trains and low cost air-conditioned Yuva trains for rural youth and low income groups.
Mamata also announced that rail tickets would also be sold through 5,000 post offices across the country, through automatic vending machines in 200 stations and also through 50 mobile ticketing vans.
The Minister also proposed the Izzat scheme with special passes for unorganised sector workers, new schemes for railway employees and relaxation in rules for student concessions.
CNN-IBN discussed Mamata's Railway Budget with senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Atul Anjan, former railway minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Naik and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O' Brien.
While some proposals are being applauded, others are being criticized as being unrealistic.
Mamata and former railway minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Lalu Prasad also had a spat during the Budget speech. Mamata also criticised, in a veiled manner, her predecessor's tenure as she said that Railways had incurred a loss in the last financial year.
Lalu later snubbed Mamata saying her Budget had nothing new.
However, Derek O' Brien did not agree that Mamata was targeting Lalu in Parliament.
"I don't think she mocked Lalu. In fact at one point she folded her hands and said Laluji I have a lot of respect for you so please allow me to present my Budget," said Derek.
Is this a please-all Budget?
CPI leader Atul Anjan said even though the Budget looks good at first glance but Mamata had failed to address many critical issues.
"Prime Minister has said that within 100 days every ministry must perform and in this Railway Budget hundreds of assurances are there. So how much time it will take to fulfill the commitments and aspirations has to be seen. The welcoming feature is that freight and ticket rates have not been increased. Some of the schemes introduced are good. I don't know about the double-decker experiment and if it will work or not. There was a double-decker train between Trichur and Thiruvananthapuram but that was withdrawn after a year. Also very little has been said about passenger amenities. Even drinking water issue has not been addressed," said Anjan.
Railway Ministry is often looked upon as a political ministry and any plan upsetting the common man is not taken up. Is that the real hurdle for the Railways in becoming a profitable organisation?
Former railway minister and BJP leader Ram Naik claimed that Indian Railways should focus on its social obligations first and then only try to make profit.
"No doubt railway is a commercial organisation. But it has social obligations also. So for railway it is not how much profit you earn but how good service you give so that development process is accelerated. Railway Budget should be seen from that point of view. On present railway Budget I will just say there are some welcome signs. No fare increase, no freight charge increase, tatkal scheme improved to some extent or those earning less than Rs 1,500 getting a pass at Rs 25 per month upto 100 kms… these are passenger friendly which are most welcome," said Naik.
There is charge against Mamata Banerjee that she had discriminated against Bihar and Maharashtra. So do ministers keep the interest of their states on the top?
"I don't agree. I have worked; Nitish Kumar has also worked and was from Bihar. I am from Maharashtra but we did not work that way. But Lalu Prasad worked in that way and that is why it is being compared how Lalu behaved and how Mamata is behaving," alleged Naik.
He also took as swipe at both Lalu and Mamata saying, "There cordial relation which was witnessed in the House today indicates they want to hit each other."
The Budget has announced many Duronto trains from West Bengal. There is also a scheme to introduce special concession passes in Kolkata metro service for minority students. So is Mamata falling into the trap of just looking after her own constituency?
Derek vehemently jumped to defend his party chief and Railway Minister claiming there were many novel schemes in the Budget.
"Absolutely not. There are lots of brilliant ideas. Rather then knock out these very good ideas like freight corridor ideas, the idea of Duronto trains, the izzat passes, railway land being put to good use in private partnership… there is a lot of innovation. Let us see how these ideas are implemented and not bang those ideas even before they are implemented," he said.
However, many of the schemes announced by Mamata were first proposed by Lalu but have still not been implemented.
Naik blamed Lalu for making big promises and doing very little on the ground.
"Lalu was working only on paper and Mamata has only changed the tag. Earlier it was model station and now it is world class station. It has to be seen whether these are being actually achieved. As far as Lalu's schemes are concerned he failed completely and we shall see after one year what the progress is. Otherwise this commercial use of land has been going on for the last six years," said the BJP leader.
But why is it difficult to maintain basic sanitation at platforms and in trains?
Anjan, too, blamed the RJD chief saying, "Lalu made a lot of commitments but they were not implemented. When Nitish Kumar was the railway minister he proposed to revamp New Delhi Railway Station. But that too has not been completed. Earlier railway ministers did not use to make political issues out of Budget but now railway ministers are doing just that."
The operating costs of the railway are rising but ministers are unwilling to create situation for revenue to increase. So problems will remains as operating ratio has increased from 76 per cent to 92 per cent.
"Making a station clean is about will power and exercising it. If that is done then nothing is difficult. Expenditure can increase and ultimately railway is not a profit making organisation. It has to give good service, social service and see that passengers and freight movement is proper. It should bee seen from that point of view," Naik commented.
But social service can also be a burden at some point of time.
"No, no! It should be the main point that railway administration should work. If it is done in an efficient way, I don't think there is any reason for any loss," added naik.
Rate the Budget
Derek backed his leader wholeheartedly saying, "On ideas 10 on 10. On implementation of ideas please let's not pre-judge.
"I will wait for one year and see how it has been implemented. Then only marks should be given," said Naik while Anjan left the rating to the people.
"Marks will be given by the people. Ideas which have been proposed in the Budget can only be achieved if you have tight grip over the Railway Ministry," the CPI leader said concluding the debate.
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