Rail Budget remarkable, will put Railways back on track: BJP
New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday hailed the first Railway Budget of the Narendra Modi government as “revolutionary” and “remarkable” that will put the Railways back on track with priorities on safety, hygiene and speed. Describing the Rail Budget as “remarkable” in many ways, party President and Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it is full of innovative ideas and Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda deserves credit for it. “I am confident that this Rail Budget will put the Indian Railways back on the fast track of development and expansion,” he said. Singh said the Rail Budget sets safety, hygiene and speed as priority areas for the Indian Railways which is “definitely a positive start”. Party Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi decribed the Rail Budget as a “revolutionary bullet budget” and said “the journey of railways has begun on a world-class track”. Welcoming the Budget, BJP’s media cell in charge Shrikant Sharma said the dream of turning the country into a modern and magnificent India will be fulfilled by the government. “The initiatives taken on modernisation, bullet trains, upgrading technology and improving food quality are some major steps that are commendable. The dreams that Atal Behari Vajpayee saw in connecting the whole country will be accomplished by Modi Government through the railway network,” he said. (PTI)
Special steps to be taken for safety of women in trains
New Delhi: Special steps are being taken and instructions issued to ensure safety of women travelling alone in all classes of trains, Railways Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said on Tuesday. Introducing the Railway Budget 2014-15, Gowda said that in order to ensure security of ladies travelling alone, special instructions are being issued for their safety in each class of travel. Gowda said that to strengthen security in trains and at stations, 17,000 RPF constables have been recruited and they will be shortly available for deployment.”We also propose to recruit 4,000 women RPF constables,” he said. Gowda said that with the induction of women RPF constables, coaches for ladies will be escorted. Additional care will be taken for ladies travelling alone in all classes, he said. He said RPF personnel escorting trains will be provided mobile phones so that passengers can contact them when in distress. Security helpline will be augmented, he said. (PTI)
Jaya welcomes Rail budget
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday described the NDA Government’s maiden Railway budget as “fiscally responsible and bold” but urged the Centre to spare common man of the ‘previous government’s policy of fuel price linked fare increases.’ “I commend the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and the Railway Minister (Sadananda gowda) for having practiced transparency in placing before the country the true status of the Indian Railways. Their approach is fiscally responsible and very bold,” she said in a statement here. The Rail budget presented by Gowda was a serious exercise at consolidation “which the new Government at the Centre has been forced to undertake in the wake of the mismanagement of the UPA Government over the past decade of this extremely crucial sector,” she said. Recognising the financial ‘deep crisis’ faced by Railways, the budget provides vision for the future, she said welcoming proposals like the Diamond Quadrilateral high speed rail network which she said will be a ‘game changer’ in terms of providing a transport infrastructure backbone for the country. (PTI)
Rail Minister concerned over experimental train stoppages
New Delhi: Concerned over the growing number of experimental stoppages, Railway Minster D V Sadananda Gowda on Tuesday said such stoppages will remain in vogue only till September 30 and then reviewed. Stating that these stoppages will be examined solely on the basis of operational feasibility and commercial justification, he said any demand for new stoppages henceforth will be considered on these criteria. (PTI)