RAILWAY BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

Mamata apologises for missed targets. Will do better this year, she promises.

    

No changes in fares As expected, West Bengal gets priority in Mamata's railway budget. Senior citizen concessions for women start at age 58 instead of 60. Senior Citizen concession raised to 40 percent 50 per cent concession on fares for media personnel and their families twice a year.

Revenue will exceed Rs 1 lakh crore, a 9.9 per cent increase over last year's number.

Railways facing money shortage, passing through difficult phase, says Mamata.

      

10 year-backlog in recruitment will be addressed right away. Ticket booking charges reduced by 50 per cent. Smart card 'Go India' tickets to be introduced. Mamata proposes bridge factory in Jammu and Kashmir. Manipur to get diesel locomotive centre. Mamata plans to raise Rs 10,000 crore from tax-free bonds. Incentives for states with no 'Rail Roko' agitation: Two extra trains and two new projects

  

Railways to create 10,000 shelters for the poor. Fund for social causes will be called PM Rail Vikas Yojana. Anti-collision device is ready, three zonal railways will commission it soon.

Nandigram to get railway industrial park, Singur to get metro coach factory.

    

Track-making centre to come up at Uluberia in West Bengal. 2011 is Green Energy Year for railways, says Mamata. PPPs with major universities to modernise Railways International training centre to come up at Agra. New Duronto trains on Allahabad-Mumbai, Pune-Ahmedabad, Sealdah-Puri, Madurai-Chennai, Chennai- Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai Central-New Delhi routes.

      

============================================== Parliament adjourns for lunch. As expected, West Bengal gets priority in Mamata's railway budget. 'Let me drink some water,' Mamata tells MPs. Mamata listing out new trains as MPs' murmurs get louder. New Duronto trains on Allahabad-Mumbai, Pune-Ahmedabad, Sealdah-Puri, Madurai-Chennai, Chennai- Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai Central-New Delhi routes.

         

New Shatabdhis between Pune and Secundrabad, Jaipur and Agra. Mamata promises railway jobs for 16,000 ex-servicemen. Multi-purpose smart cards for long-distance travel. Double-decker AC trains for Ahmedabad-Mumbai, Jaipur-Delhi. New trains for states going to the polls. Capacity of 107 Mumbai trains to be increased. New trains for Vivekananda, Tagore birth anniversaries. Mamata announces three new Shatabdhis. Mamata announces new Duronto trains. 50 per cent concession on fares for media personnel and their families twice a year.

Concessions for the physically challenged on Rajdhani and Shatabdhi trains

 

Senior citizen concessions for women start at age 58 instead of 60. Railways will strengthen suburban networks in Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bengaluru.

   

Suburban networks of Hyderabad and Secunderabad will be improved. Proud of my state, will do more for it, says Mamata. Kindly continue, Meira Kumar tells Mamata. Haven't announced anything major, yet MPs are shouting, complains Mamata.

Speaker Meira Kumar smiling, waiting for screaming MPs to settle down.

     

MPs on their feet, shouting Mamata down. 'Poora karne deejiye,' Meira Kumar tells screaming MPs. Lalu is speaking, but no one can hear him in the din. West Bengal-orientation of Mamata's proposals irk MPs. Mamata screams back at fellow-MPs. Meira Kumar calls for calm. Please sit down, please sit down, please sit down, Meira Kumar tells MPs.

 

Don't shout, Mamata tells MPs. Shouts drown out Mamata's voice as she announces projects for West Bengal.

  

Kolkata Metro will expand its network. Railways will go from strength to strength, says Mamata. Revenue will exceed Rs 1 lakh crore, a 9.9 per cent increase over last year's number.

   

Kolkata to get 15 new suburban trains. 2011 is Green Energy Year for railways, says Mamata. Safety measure: All unmanned level crossings will be removed. Railways facing money shortage, passing through difficult phase, says Mamata.

150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore: Train will go to Bangladesh on a commemorative journey.

    

If you shout, I won't grant you anything, Mamata ribs fellow-MPs. International training centre to come up at Agra. Mamata quotes poetry, Lata Mangeshkar songs. Meira Kumar makes a farmaish:' Where are your couplets?' 10 year-backlog in recruitment will be addressed right away, says Mamata.

   

Elderly workers will be transferred to less strenuous positions. Ticket booking charges reduced by 50 per cent. Smart card tickets to be introduced. Mamata apologises for missed targets. Will do better this year, she promises.

   

Railways environment-friendly and fuel-efficient, says Mamata. Railways to get help from IITs to develop new technology. Trouble-free states can decide what reward projects they want. Two extra trains and two new projects for states with no rail roko agitations.

  

Rail is 'desh ka service', stop rail roko agitations, urges Mamata. Lalu suppresses a yawn as Mamata delivers budget speech. Anti-collision device is ready, three zonal railways will commission it soon.

   

Fund for social causes will be called PM Rail Vikas Yojana. Mamata to set up fund to support social causes. Mamata plans gas-based power plant in Maharashtra. Questions and shouts distract Mamata, but she resumes her budget speech.

Mamata on new connections: "If rail connectivity is there, every connectivity will increase in this country."

         

Railways to create 10,000 shelters for the poor. Mamata plans to raise Rs 10,000 crore from tax-free bonds. More than 4 lakh travelled on Izzat tickets, priced at Rs 25. Railways' infrastructure will be expanded, says Mamata. Nandigram to get railway industrial park. Singur in West Bengal to get metro coach factory. Track-making centre to come up at Uluberia in West Bengal. Manipur to get diesel locomotive centre. Mamata proposes bridge factory in Jammu and Kashmir. New coach factory at Rae Bareilly will deliver first coach in three months, says Mamata.

Difficult to meet individual demands, but collective demands can be met, Mamata tells MP.

Key material for locomotive, coach production not easily available in India, says Mamata.

 

Mamata talks about railways' measures to support industry. Mamata thanks staff, passengers, unions, describes railways as "arteries of this pulsating nation".

  

Mamata begins budget speech, thanks PM for support. Slowdown in industrial growth is temporary, says economic survey. Savings, investment rates may rise, says government's economic survey.

 

Economic survey out, says probability of second dip recession low. Parliament resumes; Pranab says he lost his cool because too many questions were thrown at him.

 

Pranab takes a dig at CPM, parliament adjourned for five minutes. Legal restrictions preventing disclosure of names of those with black money, says Pranab.

Pranab Mukherjee faces angry questions on black money, loses his temper.

Rail fares may go up in June-July, after elections in West Bengal are done.

   

Parliament opens; Pranab speaking on black money menace. Mamata may revise catering policy, announce more kitchens. Mamata may announce survey for 107 new routes, say sources. Railways spent Rs 50 crore on developing anti -collision device, but accidents persist.

Safety compromised: 336 lost their lives in 90 train accidents in 201011.

Mamata expected to address passenger safety. Ninety per cent of accidents avoidable, say experts.

 

Locomotive drivers are overworked, and railways need to hire more. Mamata all set to present her fifth railway budget. She may favour Bengal since this is election year.

  

Railway stocks look up as budget announcement nears. Mamata may announce more express trains for Bengal, NE states. No hike in passenger fares expected; freight rates may also remain untouched.

Railway safety a concern: 250 train accidents, and over 500 deaths, between 2009 and 2011.

Railway stocks down by 1 to 4 per cent, but perform better than yesterday.

Mamata preoccupied with Bengal politics, not paying attention to railways, complain critics.

Growing economy needs more railway capacity, but growth lagging, says railway planning expert.

Mamata's white paper demolished Lalu's profitability claims. Are railway finances a mess?

Countdown begins for presentation of rail budget. TV channels expect 'please-all' proposals.

 

Mamata expected to offer concessions to students, farmers. Mamata may raise production targets for wagons, coaches and locomotives.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee reaches Parliament to present the Rail Budget

Mamata Banerjee reaches Rail Bhavan, will present the Budget in the Parliament

Budget is of the people, for the people, by the people: Mamata Banerjee

    

Follow us live for Railway Budget at 11AM Fare hike unlikely Rail stocks derail ahead of Budget Industry hoping for implementation of rail projects Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to present her fifth Rail Budget in the Parliament today