City on Didi's budget

Jonathan Khare (BPO executive)

A lot has been promised by the Railway Minister, and it requires immediate implementation. In last year's Rail Budget too there were a lot of promises, half of which weren't kept. It's high time that the ministry implemented some fool-proof procedures.

The Railway Minister has allocated Rs 1, 302 crore for passenger amenities, but will daily commuters actually benefit from it? Travelling by the Kolkata Metro is anything but comfortable. There are hardly any basic amenities.

Only if the Railway Ministry finally implements its plans, can we say that it's a populist budget. Otherwise, there's nothing great about it.

Farooque Ahmed (Primary school teacher)

Budget 2010 is impressive. It's a good sign that the minister has granted a huge sum to develop passenger amenities. Another welcome move is the plan to start the Karmabhoomi special trains for working people.

But at the same time jobs in the railways must be opened up for the general public. Had the Railway Minister sanctioned some proposals regarding employment, the budget would have been much better. Since Banerjee is following the Aam aadmi principle, the employment aspect should have figured.

Apart from this, it seems to be a good budget overall. However, the proposals must be implemented at the earliest.

Indrani Ghosh (Housewife)

I'm elated to hear that special trains have been allotted for women. Earlier, we've had ladies' special train services, but now if the Matribhoomi specials run regularly it'll be great. I also liked the plan of setting up bottling plants to supply purified water. While travelling by train, adequate water supply is often not available. I think the problem can now be solved. Also, if train tickets are available from various points, it will save time and prove very convenient. If these commitments are kept, it will be satisfactory.

But the Railway Board must also give special attention to passenger amenities. In the Metro Railway, that's hard to come by. Half the ticket counters remain closed resulting in long queues. Even the smart gates don't work properly. These must be taken care of immediately.

Abhik Mukherjee (Marketing professional)

The main reason why satisfaction remains is because there's no hike in ticket prices. The Railway Minister deserves special applause for that. The decision to not privatise the railways is a good one. Expectations were high, and the minister has been able to fulfil them.

What I liked about the budget is its sense of determination. Most of the plans were introduced keeping the five-year term in mind. If the Government can adapt such a long-term policy, it will really help the railways.

Banerjee has promised to introduce a number of new railway routes. Those routes must be launched immediately in order to develop the transport system.

Pulak Dutta (Central government employee)

When a Railway Minister makes the budget keeping all the odds in mind, it's bound to be good. This holds true for 2010's Railway Budget. The proposal of launching new railway routes is encouraging. But as an engineer, I'd suggest that all tracks and positions be checked thoroughly at the outset.

Otherwise, the budget is encouraging because it also keeps industrialisation in mind. If the railway can ultimately come up with a factory in Singur, it will also strengthen the state's economy.

I sincerely hope that all the promises are kept, and that the development process continues smoothly.

Bikram Nandi (Works in a private organization)

If the Metro Railway service is extended to Barrackpore and Dakshineswar, many of us will greatly benefit.

The Railway Minister has said that the Maoist problem is a big threat to the railways. Even in express trains, there's hardly any security. As a result, passengers fall victim to robbers. Keeping these threats in mind, there should have been a special proposal for security development. Had this been included, we could have called this a complete budget.

Himangshu Das (State government employee)

Allotment of funds to develop passenger amenities is a good sign. This particular decision proves that Ms. Banerjee's ministry is trying to better the railways.

But these promises must be kept. Promising to serve passengers better, then ceasing to function will not help. The condition of local trains must be developed immediately. If you continue to increase the number of trains, then you should also take sufficient measures to ensure that the services are properly maintained.

Rittick Mondal (College student)

I live in Barrackpore and am a daily commuter. The Rail Budget has no value for me. Those who travel along the Bongaon route are aware of the utter lack of passenger amenities here. People travel regularly almost risking their lives, but the Railway Ministry pays no heed to it. There's chaos within coaches and trains are never on time. If these basic amenities aren't in place, what can a budget do?

We've been hearing that the old tracks will be replaced, but till date it remains a mere promise. The Railway Minister has announced that new local trains will be introduced. But if the basic infrastructure isn't developed the inclusion won't have any value.

Tapan Bose

It's great to hear that Rs 2,000 crore was saved in the austerity drive. At a time when many were worrying about the future of Indian Railways, the savings may come as a boost.

I live in Mumbai, where local trains are the preferred mode of transport. I welcome Banerjee's decision to sanction 101 new suburban trains for Mumbai. Mumbai indeed needed more local trains to cope with the footfall, and being a Mumbaikar I'm extremely happy.

At the same time, the Railway Ministry should pay some effort to develop the basic amenities on local trains. As a whole, the budget seems to be a well-planned one.

A. Chatterjee (Media professional)

The Railway Ministry has stunningly ignored any plans for income generation in this budget. Railway Budget 2010 has no clear-cut plans for generating revenue, which is really a negative sign. Apart from this, quite a few packages have been included to win over the people. Though the Railway Minister has tried to distribute many trains across the nation, Bengal has clearly been given preference keeping the Assembly polls in mind.


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