Railway budget draws flak from all quarters

Expressbuzz, Feb 25, 2010
BHUBANESWAR: The CPM today staged a demonstration in front of the headquarters of East Coast Railways (ECoR) here to protest the continued neglect of Orissa in the railway budget even as Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) called upon the people to oppose the step-motherly attitude of the Centre. Demonstrations were also organised at many places in the State.


Alleging that the budget proposals have exposed the divisive politics practised by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, State Secretariat member of the CPM Santosh Das demanded that wagon manufacturing factory be set up at Bhubaneswar as well as in Kalahandi district. The budget had announced that the location for the factory should be finalised by the State Government.

The state convenor of BYJD Sanjay Dasburma alleged that the railway budget has been prepared keeping an eye on the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. Even though Orissa needs Rs 6832.36 crore for completion of the ongoing projects only Rs 430 crore has been provided, he said and called upon the people of the state to oppose the injustice done to Orissa.

Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei described the budget as very disappointing. He said there is no proposal for electrification of railway lines in Orissa and grant for this has been reduced to Rs 21 lakh.

Similarly, provision for gauge conversion has been reduced from Rs 36.14 crore to Rs 6 crore, he said, adding that against the demand for introduction of 20 new trains only nine trains have been announced for the State. Besides, meagre allocations have been made for Angul-Sukinda, Koraput-Rayagada and Sambalpur-Talcher railway projects, he added.

Minister of State for Commerce and Transport Sanjib Sahu also criticised the budget privisions saying that it has ignored the interests of Orissa. Though proposals were submitted for 13 new lines, only one new line has been annoounced, he said.

Mamta allocates Odisha more
Tathya.in, Feb 24, 2010
Bhubaneswar:24/February/2010


Mamata Banerjee has not been uncharitable to Odisha to an great extent.

For political reasons Naveen Patnaik may blame the Union Minister for Railways for apathy towards the state, but fact remains that Odisha has received much more than it expected, feel senior officials.

While Odisha demanded an allocation of Rs.1805 crore, Indian Railway Budget has provided Rs.836.64 crore in 2010-11 for New Lines, Gauge Conversion, Doubling and Electrification, revealed the officer.

Last year State had got Rs.715.72 crore in these sectors and this year rise was about Rs.120 crore more than allocated in 2009-10.

So as usual Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described the railway budget quite "disappointing". "Once again Odisha has not got its due.”

Mr.Patnaik said when Odisha is generating Rs.6000 crore of revenue, Indian Railways has not been kind by allowing at least Rs.1000 crore for the next fiscal.

A U Singh Deo echoed the Chief Minister by saying Railways has been once again uncharitable to Odisha as Khurda Road- Bolangir project needs Rs.300, where as they have provided only Rs.120 crore.

Last year, the State Government had asked for an allocation of Rs 1504 crore, the Railway Budget for 2009-10 allocated only Rs 715 crore, of which only Rs 653.22 crore said Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo, Minister Commerce and Transport.

Cheers for KBK as aam aadmi living in far flung areas of Malkangiri, Nawarangpur, Kandhamal as Ms.Mamata gave out all support for the tribal zones.

Among the new survey program for Talcher-Phulbani-Lanjigarh and Junagarh-Jeypore-Malkangiri-Bhadrachalam has been included.

It has been proposed to update the surveys for the Jeypore-Malkangiri, Phulbani-Berhampur, Puri-Konark, Gunupur-Theruvali and Jeypore-Malkangiri rail routes.

The railway minister has proposed to set up one of the state-of-the-art wagon factories in joint venture or public-private partnership mode either at Bhubaneswar or Kalahandi, which Chief Minister has to decide.

Funding to the major projects has increased in a big way in 2010-11.

In 2009-10 Central allocations in this head has gone up to Rs.430.70 from Rs.275.07 crore and Khurda Road-Balangir project received the highest amount of Rs.120 crore, which was never seen earlier.

East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor will cover Odisha and East-Coast Dedicated Freight Corridor will originate from West Bengal and cover Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Rail connectivity to Astarang, Chudamani and Gopalpur Port Trust will help out the private port owners.

Union Minister Srikanta Jena lauded the Railway Budget and Bhakta Charan Das, MP from Kalahandi also echoed Jena’s voice.