8216;Porters won8217;t upset my bank balance8217;

With a number of populist schemes announced in his Budget, including huge direct employment plans and slashing of fares across the table, Railway minister Lalu Prasad...

With a number of populist schemes announced in his Budget, including huge direct employment plans and slashing of fares across the table, Railway minister Lalu Prasad has set the election agenda for the UPA government. His moves come with a huge financial implication for the Railways, which has achieved the best ever operating ratio in the last 40 years. And there are fears of the railways growth story hitting speed-breakers. After presenting the Rail budget, Prasad spoke to Surabhi

Did you prepare Rail Budget 2008-09 keeping in mind the general elections next year?

While I have tried to keep in mind the needs of people all over the country, the Budget was not my main priority. I have provided benefits like reduction in passenger fares to all sections of society and all regions in the country.

This seems to be a pro-rich and middle class Budget and other sections of society are ignored.

There is no truth in the allegation that the railway Budget will benefit only the rich and middle classes as we have reduced fares by 5 per cent for second class, including sleeper, travel. The move benefits everybody, more so the poor people as even common men travelling in the Jan Shadharan train from Patna to Delhi would now be paying 5 per cent less and it is only the poor who travel by Shadharan Express. Of course, at the same time we have tried to benefit all segments of the population by reducing fares of even AC-I, AC-II and AC-III tiers.

You have announced freight reductions for specific commodities. But like previous years, will you hike the freight charges in the middle of the year in 2008-09 too?

Let me tell you, we have never resorted to mid-year freight hikes. We have only done this for iron ore mined for export. This was done as the sector was making a lot of profits. We will stick to our announcement of rationalising freight rates in the new fiscal.

When will work on the dedicated freight corridor begin?

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We will surely begin construction of the dedicated freight corridor in 2008, as announced in the Budget. And let me tell you, with the freight corridor, the future of railways will become brighter. It will be able carry more goods traffic. Along the corridor, we will also make multi-modal logistics parks and I hope these will attract a lot of investments.

What will be impact of inducting coolies as Grade-IV employees?

That will not have a major impact. We have vacancies. It will not upset my bank balance.