Railway Budget 2015: Reactions

The CPM politburo said the Rail Budget was high on hyperbole but low on content.

Lacks vision, high on hyperbole: Congress, CPM
New Delhi: The Congress slammed the Rail Budget, saying it lacked vision. It claimed Suresh Prabhu had “derailed” it and “pulled a fast one” on the people by not lowering fares despite a fall in global crude prices. “It’s a nicely-worded speech. But there is no vision as to how he is going to achieve the goals,” leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha and ex-railways minister Mallikarjun Kharge said. The CPM politburo said the Rail Budget was high on hyperbole but low on content. “The allocations for extending railways to backward and far flung areas are totally inadequate,” it said.

Forward-looking, says Modi
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi said the Rail Budget is “forward looking, futuristic, passenger-centric” and has given“ a concrete vision for technology upgradation and modernisation of the Railways” for the first time. He said it is a watershed moment for the Railways, marking a paradigm shift from mere announcement of number of trains to a comprehensive railway reform. BJP chief Amit Shah said the Budget reflected the Modi government’s development-for-all policy as it had given thrust to passenger convenience and safety. “The Railways Minister has taken dozen of measures, keeping the interests of the passengers as supreme, for making their travel pleasant,” Shah said.

Orissa CM Naveen warms up to BJP
Bhubaneswar: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday came close to praising the Rail Budget after Suresh Prabhu allocated Rs 3,112 crore to Orissa, the highest-ever allocation to the state. “I understand that there is an overall increase of about 5 per cent in the Budget. Orissa has also been correspondingly given an increase in allotment,” Naveen said. Naveen has, in the past, been critical of rail budgets.

PMK disappointed, Jaya pleased
Chennai: NDA ally PMK described the Rail Budget as “a big disappointment” with no reduction in passenger fare while AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa welcomed it saying the common man has been spared from fare hike. Soon after BJP assumed office at the Centre, passenger fare was hiked by 14.5 per cent and it was disappointing that it had not been reduced, PMK leader S Ramadoss said. Jayalalithaa said the rail budget “had not caused any additional burden to the common people while charting a path for the long term improvement of the Indian Railways.”