NEW DELHI, JULY 7: The Lok Sabha today passed the Railway budget for 1998-99 but only after a protracted debate which led Railway Minister Nitish Kumar to announce the setting up of a Railway Safety Review Committee.The high-powered Railway Safety Committee headed by former Supreme Court judge H R Khanna, would comprise two MPs and technical experts. It would examine all issues relating to rail safety, modernisation and induction of new technology.Rejecting a slew of cut-motions moved by the Opposition, the Railway budget was finally passed by a voice vote. The government has withdrawn the freight increase for magazines and clarified that there would be no freight increase for newspapers.
