The Minister of Railways, Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced several concessions for the students in the Railway Budget for 2009-10.
Slamming the Union budget as 'insipid' and lacking in stimulus for growth, the Congress on Saturday said it does not address the main issue of unemployment and describes the mindset of the government.
As part its efforts to get more freight from highways and address shortage of wagons, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday proposed to introduce a modified wagon investment scheme for high-capacity general and special purpose wagons.
The Budget is expected to make some key announcements, including relief package for farmers, poor and sops for the middle-class.
Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu tabled the Railway Budget on Thursday
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday asked for allocation of sufficient funds for the ongoing projects and introduction of new trains in the state.
We have only rationalised the freight rates, says the minister.
From filling vacancies in government jobs to providing a minimum support income of Rs 72,000 per year for the poor families, the party went all out to woo the voters.
The Centre could further moderate its divestment target for 2024-25 (FY25), as it does not expect large receipts from asset sales - except some ongoing strategic ones, including IDBI Bank, which could spill over into next financial year. Also, it may drastically reduce its FY24 divestment target of Rs 51,000 crore. "We are still evaluating the Budget estimates for FY25. "New big-ticket asset sales are unlikely.
"The running of Bharat Teerth is to emphasise our unity in diversity and bring to reality Kabiguru's (Rabindranath Tagore) words in our national anthem Punjab Sindhu Gujarat Maratha, Dravida Utkala Banga, Vindhya Himachal Yamuna Ganga," railway minister Mamata Banerjee said.
Speaker Meira Kumar said in her valedictory address that the Lok Sabha lost over 23 hours and 34 minutes due to interruptions and forced adjournments, but it sat late for 30 hours and 52 minutes to transact important financial and other business.
A white paper on rail safety would be presented in Parliament during the current Budget session for a threadbare debate taking into consideration all aspects of passengers' protection, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar told the Lok Sabha on Thursday.\n\n\n\n
The next government should view Indian Railways as a strategic tool, not legacy problem.
The Indian Railways will develop few stations which will be at par with global standard.
Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal spoke with the media about his privatisation plan, safety road map and innovation strategy.
"Yes, it is almost that," senior CPI-M leader Basudeb Acharia told reporters when asked whether the Budget was the Trinamool Congress' manifesto for the Assembly polls. However, Acharia and CPI national secretary D Raja welcomed several 'positive' features like no raise in passenger fares or freight charges and the concessions given to various sections of people.
'Wherever in the world there is political instability, those countries are beset with severe crises today. But India is in a much better position than the rest of the world due to the decisions taken by my government in the national interest,' President Droupadi Murmu said in her address to both Houses of Parliament.
If the current revenue figures are any yardstick to go by, Railways could just about miss their target for the present fiscal ahead of the Rail Budget.
The Indian Railways on Wednesday said it suffered an estimated loss of Rs 13,675 crore (Rs 136.75 billion) in the current fiscal on account of various social service obligations, including suburban and non-suburban services.
With people reposing faith in the UPA and voting for stability, this is the government's chance to fulfill its promises, ensure growth and development of the country, check runaway prices, and offer succour to the aam aadmi.
The 66-year-old finance minister underwent a successful kidney transplant surgery in mid-May and was on leave since April due to kidney-related problems and chest infection.
Mumbai rail service may get a facelift as the Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav announces the Phase II of developmental plans this Budget.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday welcomed Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement that there was no move to privatise the railway sector.
The Budget may see new rural schemes and stepping up of funding towards existing programmes like MNREGA, rural housing, irrigation projects and crop insurance.
The Railway Budget for 2003-04 proposes no increase in passenger fares and freight rates.
The premium trains will be the focus area as the project has been the revenue generator for the loss-making passenger operations
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad was at his humourous best while presenting the Interim Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with a fair sprinkling of quotable quotes, couplets and witty replies to interventions.
Be it passengers or freight or even commercial utilisation of Railways' properties and premises, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Friday demonstrated his uncanny ways of making money.
As far as rolling stock programme is concerned, the announcement will be made for manufacturing of 4200 new coaches including 600 LHB coaches in the Rail Budget.
A bill to allow merging of some villages and mandals of Telangana with Seemandhra in a bid to deal with resettlement and rehabilitation those displaced by the Polavaram power project was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid din.
The period of advance booking under the Tatkal Scheme is being reduced from the current 5 days to 2 days. Tatkal tickets will be made available destination-wise instead of from end to end thereby reducing the financial burden on passengers.
The Rs 10,807-crore (Rs 108.07 billion) budget for implementation of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and to fund various ongoing projects was passed by a voice vote. Some members were not satisfied with the budget. The BJD members walked out alleging that Orissa had been ignored.
The Rail Budget is full of hollow promises, the Congress leader said.
Railways proposed to introduce 32 new trains including 17 Samparak Kranti Express linking several state capitals and different parts of the country with the Union Capital.
The Economic Survey 2007-08 has some interesting insights for infrastructure aficionados.
The Railways have slashed service charges levied on purchase of e-tickets by half from April 1.
RailYatri offers a host of travel-related services to a 4.5 million user base. Shine Jacob finds out what's next for the app.
"Railways has received a request from the government of West Bengal to set up a coach factory in Singur," Banerjee said while presenting the rail budget for 2010-11 in Parliament.
Struggling to make ends meet, the railways have demanded a doubling of gross budgetary support from the government.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has called for speedy implementation of key railway projects, such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor, high-speed rail corridors, rolling stock and other capacity enhancement works.
