A new scheme -- 'Izzat' was unveiled on Friday by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for the workers in the unorganised sector who can now travel upto 100 kms with a monthly season ticket of Rs 25.
A senior railway official said, "It (white paper) isalmost ready and final touches are being given to it."
'Interim Budget has ignited the entrepreneurial spirit.'
India is only on the starting block.
In an unpopular decision, railway passenger fare was on Friday increased by 14.2 per cent in all classes while freight charge was hiked by 6.5 per cent with effect from Friday.
While the corporate sector has benefited from massive capital expenditure, leading to sky-rocketing stock prices, investors would do well to keep an eye on the macroeconomic picture and government finances, not just corporate profits, for signs of trouble, alerts Debashis Basu.
The NSE Nifty ended at 2,948, up 55 points. The market breadth was fairly positive - out of 2,528 stocks traded, 1,455 advanced and 970 declined on Friday.
The 7th Pay Commission recommendations are a major challenge for the Railways.
If Modi wants to leave a real legacy, breaking India's strategic triangulation would be the real gift, notes Shekhar Gupta.
Throughout its 155 minutes, every scene is doused in blaring background music and melodrama. Disappointment alone won't do, it must feel like a full blown catastrophe, observes Sukanya Verma.
Let's take a look at some of the fastest trains in the world.
The railways was not intimated about a Dussehra event along the tracks that led to the deaths of at least 61 people in Amritsar.
Finance Minister Pranab mukherjee presents his 7th Budget.
Presenting his fifth Rail Budget in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad said that the Railways had set up new profit records in 2007-08 attaining a profit of Rs 25,000 crore.
The Budget sets out a comprehensive vision.
"The Rail Budget is likely to be presented on July 8. The ministry is preparing a status report to be presented before the Railway Minister. The report is to be submitted in a day or two and after that the budget outline will be drawn by the minister," a senior ministry official said.
Offering a bonanza for train travellers, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal announced that the Indian Railways will start new trains.
Government has been trying to get rid of the impression that it is caught in "policy paralysis".
Railway Board chairman SS Khurana, in an interaction with the media after the Interim Rail Budget, said the railways would lose Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion) annually following the fare cut. He also pointed out that the ministry would continue to optimise freight earning through its dynamic pricing policy.
The reassessed Plan size for the railways in 2012-13 has already shrunk to Rs 56,950 crore (Rs 569.5 billion) from Rs 60,100 crore (Rs 601 billion) after the first quarter.
Despite public-private partnership projects announced in several rail budgets, the investment since 2000 has been merely Rs 3,000 crore.
Railways internal resources generation has been reduced due to various factors, including cost escalation and pay commission load.
Stepped up public expenditure must be accompanied by focused policies, advises Vinayak Chatterjee.
The welfare of the common man continues to be the top priority. The minister has reduced fares for the fourth successive year.
Ram Narayan Sahu (Samajwadi Party) complained during a discussion on the Railway Budget that he did not get a glass for drinking water even in a first class coach.
'You can never bring about a change if you only bring in outsiders. Consultants will never feel what changes are necessary and where,' says Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.
The minister outlined proposals on cleanliness.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Friday approved the Eastern and Western Freight Corridor proposals of the railway ministry.
Raiwalys in existential crisis but no stock market route: Prabhu.
Soon after Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented the Union Budget 2013 in Parliament, Trinamool Congress leader and former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi joined us for the Budget chat.
With Mamata Banerjee leaving passenger fares untouched and announcing a slew of concessions for technicians of regional film industry, cancer patients and press correspondents, railways' earnings from passenger operations may be strained further.
Trivedi's resignation came amidst the exodus from Mamata Banerjee's party ahead of the West Bengal assembly poll.
While the second-class fares may not be hiked, AC travel will be more expensive.
Total subsidy bill could come down to around Rs 2 trillion.
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Saturday presented the Rail Budget for 2005-06 in the Lok Sabha amidst an Opposition walkout on the issue of 'tainted' ministers in the UPA government.
BJP, SP and CPI accuse Lalu's railway Budget as being discriminatory, parochial and disappointing.
The Indian Railways is set to record a marginal surplus in the current financial year -- much lower than the Rs 5,258 crore (Rs 52.58 billion) budgeted in February 2011. But, the fall is only a trailer, considering the country's largest passenger and goods transport network is likely to go into deficit next year.
Ritu Beri said the look of the uniform will be an ode to India and her exoticism
UPA managers say cooling of tempers, passage of Budget are bigger priorities.
