Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is under attack for her reported pro-Maoist statements, on Friday refused to be drawn into the issue in Rajya Sabha saying she will fight her political battle outside Parliament.
Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday rejected the demand of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for an inquiry into the killing of Maoist leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad. "Please tell me under which law the Centre should initiate an inquiry into the encounter killing of Maoist leader Azad, I am asking my non-lawyer friend (Bharatiya Janata Party leader) Yashwant Sinha," Chidambaram said while replying to a discussion in the Lok Sabha.
Each MFC will be built at a cost of up to Rs 8 crore (Rs 80 million), she said adding the work has been entrusted to IRCON and Rail Land Development Authority. IRCON and RLDA have already taken up the work in a phased manner and drawn up action plan for development of business models, architectural and structural designs suiting local architecture and local ethos, Banerjee said.
Indian Railways said it would rope in home-grown talent to develop world-class stations as foreign consultants were charging exorbitant fees.
The Railways ordered an inquiry, on Friday, into the train derailment near Jaipur that left six persons dead. Commissioner of Railway Safety, Western Circle, Prashant Kumar is inquiring into the mishap, railway sources said.
Freight corridor project slipping, needs supervision revamp, says Plan panel.
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.
"We have some doubts in our mind. Whatever has happened is not a casual thing. We will take strong steps against those who are behind this," she said.
Families of the two policemen, who were kidnapped by Maoists on July 30 as they stepped out of their security camp in Dharampur in Lalgarh District, have arrived in the national capital to meet Union Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram. Sources said that Banerjee is aiming to derive maximum political capital from the West Bengal government's inability to counter the Naxal menace effectively.
Stating that the Budget is passenger friendly, Mamata Banerjee said the annual plan for 2011-12 is Rs 57,630 crore.
We have here a list of a dozen of her proposals in random order. Please take the poll at the end of the slide show to select the one which you feel is the best thing about this year's Railway Budget.
Presenting her third budget in UPA-II in the Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a slew ofconcessions including reducing the eligibility age of senior women citizens from 60 to 58 years.
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 first meeting of the Group of Ministers on inclusion of caste categories in the census is likely to be held on July 1.
Countering the CPI-M's charge that she was anti-industry, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday asserted she was only against forcible acquisition of land and never opposed setting up of any factory.
It will be helpful advice for a chief minister-in-waiting who is going to have to deal with empty coffers and overflowing expectations
With strike by Air India executive pilots leading to cancellation of several flights, the railways are arranging special trains for stranded passengers.
According to sale deeds, land worth crores of rupees have been sold to Prasad's close relatives in Gopalgunj and Patna.
A look into Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's Duronto trains.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that there was a political conspiracy behind the Gyaneshwari Express disaster in West Midnapore and said the Centre has agreed for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the mishap. "From the railways, we have requested the Union home ministry for a CBI investigation into the incident, since it was in Jangalmahal where the joint operation (against Maoists) is on."
The Indian Railways has called a two-day meeting of all zonal railway managers in New Delhi this month to review ongoing projects and discuss measures to improve the financial position in wake of a stiff rise in running cost and fears of the PSU missing earning targets.
The accident site in West Midnapore, West Bengal, has been strewn with mutilated bodies and belongings of passengers of the ill-fated Gyaneshwari Express.
In the face of criticism by the Opposition for her frequent absence from Delhi, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has defended her stay in Kolkata saying the national capital was not her home.
Sudheendhra Kulkarni, former political aide to senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, has joined a key committee of the Railway Ministry. Kulkarni, who dissociated himself from the BJP on Saturday citing ideological differences, on Wednesday, said that he had joined a committee appointed by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.
She was conspicuous by her absence. Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee was not present in the Lok Sabha when the opposition members forced an adjournment on Tuesday, raising several issues, including the ongoing Mumbai motormen strike.
She said Indian Railways had taken up a large number of projects, many of which had been completed and that was why the railway published its success stories through advertisements.
Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that Trinamool Congress was totally against forcible acquisition of land for industrial purposes and the choice of giving up land should be left to the people. "We are against forcible acquisition of land. Our party fought in Singur and Nandigram against land acquisition. If the people agree to give land, it is their decision," Banerjee said.
The Trinamool Congress chief opposed a major provision in the Bill which provides for private developers acquiring 70 per cent of the land for a proposed industrial project directly from the farmers and land-owners.
Kolkata-based quiz master Derek O'Brien and leading artist Shuvaprasanna will head two separate committees set up by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to improve passengers' amenities and services in trains and stations.
The Rajya Sabha gave its nod to the Railways for withdrawing additional funds of Rs 1024.61 crore (Rs 10.24 billion) for 2010-11 amidst din.
Senior railway officials feel this interest of the international community came after Banerjee unveiled policies to seek private investment in rail projects.
Indian Railways has over 1,70,000 vacancies which will be filled after the current recruitment process is reviewed, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Of the total sanctioned strength of 15,66,964 employees, there were 1,72,444 vacancies, she said. Most of the vacancies were in Group 'C' at 1,12,566, followed by Group 'D' at 58,329. There are 1,549 vacancies in A and B, she said.
Three new non-stop Duronto trains will be launched on Wednesday, the last day of the current financial year. They are the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar, New Delhi-Howrah, and Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jammu Tawi Duronto expresses.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar utilised railway minister Mamata Banerjee's Rail Budget on Friday to fire another salvo at her predecessor Lalu Prasad saying the planned white paper on the present financial status of the railways would 'expose' his arch rival. Nitish, a former railway minister himself, said the white paper would unravel the truth behind Lalu's claims that Railways earned huge profits successively during his five-year tenure.
She said that the budget will have approach for 'inclusive growth' and expansion of rail network to take development to every corner of the country.
In a thanksgiving budget, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday proposed no increase in passenger fares or freight tariff while announcing a slew of measures including launch of 12 non-stop point-to-point long-distance trains and air-conditioned double-decker coaches for inter-city travel.
In a thanksgiving budget, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday proposed no increase in passenger fares or freight tariff while announcing a slew of measures including launch of 12 non-stop point-to-point long-distance trains and air-conditioned double-decker coaches for inter-city travel.
The minister said a premium service for container movement with assured transit time was under consideration for time sensitive cargo.
Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee presented the Railway Budget for 2009-10 in Parliament on Friday.
In a major goof-up, an advertisement inserted in newspapers by the Eastern Railways showed Delhi in Pakistan and Kolkata in the Bay of Bengal.
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