Rediff.com brings to you Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's Railway Budget Speech Live from Parliament at 12.00 noon, February 25
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday said criticised Mamata Banerjee over the stampede at New Delhi Railway station, saying nothing better could be expected from an "absentee" Railway Minister.
Congress, which is an ally of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, on Monday questioned the recurrence of train accidents and said the railway ministry was not safe in the hands of state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party.
The Lok Sabha on Monday approved the Rail budget for 2011-12 after Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee assured the House of effecting measures to ensure availability of adequate coaches and wagons in the coming years.
There were no proposals for additional resource mobilisation in her budget. But she has been helped by an all-time high annual Plan allocation of Rs 41,426 crore (Rs 414.26 billion) for 2010-11, up Rs 1,142 crore (Rs 11.42 billion) from 2009-10.
While a host of pro-public announcements made by her in the last Railway Budget (2010-11) have been implemented, Indian Railways' finances have gone from bad to worse.
Railway minister Mamata Banerjee fought off criticism on Friday that her Railway Budget was Bengal-centric and said she had kept in mind the entire country.
The Railway Budget was on Thursday passed by the Lok Sabha with Minister Mamata Banerjee announcing a slew of measures to tone up the functioning of the Railways in terms of amenities and safety and deciding to set up an expert committee to prepare a blueprint for future.
Roy's son Subhrangshu is also a Trinamool MLA from Bijpur constituency of North 24 Parganas.
Former railway minister and Mamata Banerjee described the Interim Railway Budget for 2009-10 as 'election-oriented' and an eyewash to secure votes.
Presenting the Railway Budget for 2010-11 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said that it is time for private partnership in Indian Railways, but said that the railways will not be privatised.
Heavy overnight rainfall caused widespread flooding in Kolkata, disrupting traffic, public transport, and daily life. Train and Metro services were suspended, and many areas experienced significant waterlogging.
The railway minister's indifference to her portfolio, the hesitation to install anti-collision devices that cost Rs 250,000 per km and the debate over the efficiency of home-grown technology are leading to more accidents.
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.
Angry over the hike in passenger fares in the Railway Budget, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remove her party nominee Dinesh Trivedi from the post of railway minister.
The minister said a premium service for container movement with assured transit time was under consideration for time sensitive cargo.
The performance of railways was 'below par' during 2004-05 to 2008-09 when the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief was at the helm of affairs, the White Paper laid by railway minister Mamata Banerjee revealed.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed credit for the initiative to provide Wi-Fi facilities at railway stations as she hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Digital India' campaign.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised the Narendra Modi government over foreign direct investment in defence and railways, claiming a 49 per cent FDI cap in defence "will put a question mark" on the safety and security of the nation.
Several others are feared trapped at the site, as 35-40 workers were present when the incident occurred around 10 am, about 21 km from Aizawl, they said.
Trinamool Congress's slogan of 'Satatar Pratik' (symbol of honesty) has been challenged by BJP's slogan, 'Gali, gali mein shor hai, Mamata Banerjee chor hai'.
Out of 120 trains announced in last Budget, only three remain to be flagged off because of lack of broad-gauge lines, Banerjee said.
'The more you challenge her, the more powerful she gets'
In today's perspective, such deprivation and insult has anyone seen"? the former Railway minister said in a Facebook post.
However, he made it clear that he would resign the moment Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Mamata Banerjee ask him to do.
Although Mamata Banerjee's white paper points out areas of concern, it lacks the courage to confront them, says A K Bhattacharya.
For the seventh year in a row, passenger fares are unlikely to be revised in the Railway Budget to be presented on Wednesday Mamata Banerjee is once again set to reach out to the common man with populist measures.
Apart from 278 deaths, 1,100 people were injured in the June 2 accident.
They may be on the same side of political power, but that did not stop Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and her predecessor Lalu Prasad from taking pot-shots at each other during the presentation of Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has no qualms in mixing economics with politics, which is evident from her reaction to the railway budget, says Renu Mittal.
She appealed to the business houses to join hands for building partnership with Railways.
Presenting the Railway Budget for 2010-11 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said that there will be no hike in freight tariff.
A 10-member Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on Monday visited the Balasore train accident site and began its probe into the triple train crash, a Railway official said.
Banerjee, who rushed to the spot in the city's central business district, announced the state government will pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed in the blaze and government job to a kin of each victim.
Mamata should travel to China to see how the Chinese railway system is expanding, says T N Ninan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday called up Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee after which the key United Progressive Alliance ally decided to attend a meeting of the ruling coalition in Delhi on July 14.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled central government alleging that there were attempts to suppress the cause of the train accident in Odisha.
Trivedi played a smart one, but not a very intelligent one, on Mamata, but she is likely to have the last laugh on the issue, reports Sheela Bhatt
All eyes are now on the low profile Mukul Roy, Trinamool Congress general secretary and Minister of State for Shipping.
