With West Bengal elections due next year and “Didi” eyeing the top post there, populist measures would continue. This, in spite of the fact that the Railways Ministry has to make good a whopping Rs 14,000 crore loss on passenger business during 2008-09.
As the Finance Ministry has already expressed its inability to extend assistance and the industry captains are not too keen to invest in projects like laying railway track that do not ensure easy returns, bosses at the Rail Bhawan here are making last minute efforts to dig out new sources of revenue.
Banerjee had sought approval for 24 projects, 10 of them in West Bengal, without clear-cut funding details. She had a spat with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, broke down during a meeting of cabinet committee on infrastructure and forced UPA chief Sonia Gandhi to intervene.
The progress of earnings and expenditure to end of November 2009 brings out a shortfall of Rs 3,799 crore in resource position of the Railways. Growth of earnings has fallen short of the budgeted target by Rs 1,277 crore.
The budget, however, might rationalise freight rates of certain commodities like iron ore, coal and cement, though the minister was in favour of keeping it untouched in the context of spiraling price rise.
The minister’s primary focus is on passenger amenities such as clean and hygienic stations, sprucing up catering facilities, safety, security and reservations.
The Ministry would also look forward to a dedicated fund for railway infrastructure and capacity creation. The ministry would require Rs14 lakh crore in the next 15 years for expansion and development, as per the vision document. Launch of a security helpline for passengers is also on the cards. Passengers could seek help or lodge FIRs for any crime n a moving train once the 24-hour national toll-free helpline becomes operational.
The ministry was planning to revive the Special Railway Safety Fund with a proposal to the finance ministry for Rs 20,000 crore for the next 10 years.
The dedicated safety fund was set up in 2003 with a corpus of Rs 17,000 crore for a period of 10 years.
The Railway Minister may also announce a special Peace Express from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and about a dozen new Duronto Express trains.
Karnataka pushes for new projects
New delhi, dhns: The Railway Budget may give priority to projects taken up through cost-sharing by the states. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh both have assured investing Rs 2500 crore over five years while Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand have evinced interest in sharing 50 per cent of the project cost.
Railway ministry sources said the Karnataka government is trying hard to push the new line projects of Davanagere-Tumkur, Kudichi-Bagalkot, Shimoga-Harihar and Whitefield-Kolar.