Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal may have been quick to deny any role in Railway Board bribery scandal and ask for a thorough CBI probe. But his image as an honest man, whose integrity could not be challenged, has been demolished. Anita Katyal reports
'Manish Tiwari has been trying for the Chandigarh seat since 1991, but I have never considered him a rival. If all he said the other day was targeted against me, it is unacceptable and I take strong exception to it,' former Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal tells Anita Katyal in an exclusive interview.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal announced introduction of 19 new train services, extension of three and increase in frequency of five trains acceding to demands of MPs.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who was under sharp criticism from the opposition parties after the arrest of his nephew Vijay Singla on charges of allegedly trying to fix promotion for a member in the railway board, put in his papers on Friday evening.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to seek clarifications from railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal in connection with the alleged bribery scandal related to posting of suspended railway board member (staff) Mahesh Kumar involving the minister's nephew Vijay Singla.
New Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Monday gave ample hint of a possible passenger fare hike to improve services in the railways.
The United Progressive Alliance on Sunday decided not to oblige the opposition by asking for the resignation of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, whose nephew was arrested in a bribery case, as also Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who is in the eye of a storm over the coal-gate controversy.
Bansal said: "Till now death toll has reached 36. There has been no collapse of foot-over-bridge or any railing on the station. I want to clear that stampede occurred due to people reaching in large numbers. We had made arrangements before start of the Kumbh. We have come to know that people turned in large numbers resulting in stampede."
While it is becoming increasingly apparent that the fortunes of sacked Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's family members improved dramatically during his tenure in the government, officials on his personal staff were not doing too badly either.
Former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat is up for grabs. And there are quite a few in the reckoning. Anita Katyal reports
Getting into the groove, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday got a detailed presentation of the functioning and various aspects of the national transporter including its financial health.
Pawan Kumar Bansal prefers to maintain a low profile and people who work with him say the minister is "very courteous".
Pawan Kumar Bansal prefers to maintain a low profile and people who work with him say the minister is "very courteous".
The Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned former railway minister Pawan Bansal for questioning on Tuesday into the Railway bribery scam.
A meeting of the Congress top brass is scheduled for Saturday evening amid talk that a decision on the removal of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and shifting of beleaguered Law Minister Ashwani Kumar is on the cards.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal is likely to be quizzed soon by the CBI in connection with the alleged Rs 10 crore bribery scandal involving his nephew V Singla and Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar, both of whom reportedly met at his residence.
New Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Sunday said his priority will be to improve the financial health of the national transporter and make it a preferred mode of journey in the country.
Intensifying attack on Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal over bribery charge against his nephew, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday demanded that the Congress leader be quizzed by the Central Bureau of Investigation to "unravel the conspiracy" in the case and a probe launched into alleged investments by him and his family.
With his nephew landing him in a political soup, beleaguered Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Monday got an unusual sobriquet -- "mamu" -- in the Rajya Sabha.
During the hearing, CBI told the court that they need to arrest Samir Singhani and one Rahul to unearth the entire conspiracy and for that custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary.
Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday took charge as the sixth Minister of Railways in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's second term.
Mahesh Kumar, member (staff) railway board, arrested for his alleged role in the Rs.10-crore bribery case in which Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew is also an accused, was on Monday remanded to three-day CBI custody by a Delhi court.
Former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and four-time MP on Tuesday filed his nomination papers for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, polling for which will be held on April 10.
Preliminary investigations into the probe of the railway bribery scandal are leading to the office of the railway minister, but the probe agency would wait till it gets concrete evidence in this regard, the Central Bureau of Investigation sources said on Wednesday.
Pressure mounted for the removal of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Thursday as more instances of impropriety tumbled out amidst talk of a reshuffle of the Union cabinet in which beleagured Law Minister Ashwani Kumar may be shifted to a different portfolio.
The Railway Budget will be a tough balancing act for the minister, who needs to mobilise resources urgently to offset the burden of the recent diesel price hike.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Saturday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the wake of the Central Bureau of Investigation arresting his nephew on bribery charges. Bansal drove down to the prime minister's official residence and was closeted with him for nearly 20 minutes.
The new railway minister's biggest contribution would be to allow the technocrats in the Indian Railways to function freely.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Monday ordered a high-level inquiry into the stampede at the Allahabad Junction which claimed 36 lives, announced compensation for the victims and blamed the tragedy on tardy crowd management by the local administration.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Thursday favoured rail-based container movement between India and Pakistan to reduce transaction cost and ease road traffic.
In its FIR registered against eight persons, including Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla, CBI said Kumar had agreed to pay "illegal gratification" of Rs 10 crore to co-accused Sandeep Goyal, a businessman, for his appointment at a more lucrative post of Member (electrical) of Railway Board.
When Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal presents his maiden Budget, he might not have to deal with growth worries alone.
Bulk goods should be transported through rail instead of roadways as it would be cost effective and environment friendly, said Pawan Kumar Bansal.
Daily revelations about the wealth amassed by Bansal's family made it increasingly difficult for the Congress leadership to protect him, reports Anita Katyal
Bharatiya Janata Party youth activists, including women, and police clashed outside Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's residence in New Delhi on Monday during a protest demanding his resignation following the arrest of his nephew on the charge of accepting bribe to fix plum position in the railway board.
Expressing concern over the 'poor financial situation' in the railways, opposition parties on Thursday asked the government to come out with steps to be taken to improve the condition of the public sector unit behemoth.
In a stunning revelation, an officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation has alleged that his superior officer, a deputy inspector general, had tried tipping off former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla about raids being launched against him and others in connection with a jobs and transfer scam in the railway ministry.
A day after he was forced to step down, former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Saturday night maintained that he had nothing to do with the bribery allegation for which his nephew was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The Indian Railways has proposed to introduce a modern coach "Anubhuti" with good ambience in the premier Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains providing higher travel comfort to passengers.
Setting a tough condition before the government, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said it will not allow the passage of any bill in Parliament till Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar resign or are sacked. The opposition party also made it clear that it will not allow the passage of either the National Food Security Bill or the Land Acquisition Bill.
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