Railway Budget 2012

[The Messiah]

Its about time we left populist policies and did what is good for India. The fares need to be increased to introduce new trains and maintain properly the existing infrastructure. People demand lower fares and when trains derail then they cry foul and point at govt. When govt decides to improve the infrastructre then same people scream about increasing fares.

Why should the hard working taxpayer foot the bill for everything ?

 

[nrj]

Dinesh Trivedi quits as railway minister

 

[LurkerBaba]

Dinesh Trivedi to resign as rail minister, says Mamata - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Four days after the rail budget, railway minister Dinesh Trivedi finally agreed to resign from his post. TMC leader Mukul Roy to replace Trivedi as rail minister. Sources within PMO said they are yet to receive any resignation letter from rail minister Dinesh Trivedi.

 

[LurkerBaba]

Slightly old news,

Indian Railways' cash reserve fell from Rs.13,431 crore to Rs.75 lakh under Mamata Banerjee

The face of poribartan (change) in Bengal would now forever be etched in public memory as the face that brought about the ruin of Indian Railways. The firebrand leader literally left the railways in a state of financial meltdown as from Rs.13,431 crore in 2008 its cash reserve fell to a paltry Rs.75 lakh in 2011.

That means, between 2008 and 2010, railways lost a whopping Rs.552 crore every month on an average of Rs.18 crore per day.

A downward spiral that began towards the end of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's tenure as the railway minister accelerated when Banerjee took charge. The decline under her perhaps could be touted as the biggest fall in finances for the railways since Independence.

Read more at: Indian Railways' cash reserve fell from Rs 13,431 crore to Rs 75 lakh under Mamata Banerjee : Invisible India News - India Today

 

[Godless-Kafir]

"Bagath Sing gave his life for the nation, i only gave my job that is nothing." Is Dinesh a Hero?

I really think he did the right thing even at the cost of his job, something all parties must think over.

 

[pmaitra]

Dinesh Trivedi quits as railway minister

This is very sad news. He was a better person than the one who is going to take over. MMS failed to show some spine.

 

[Vishwarupa]

Mamata indicates rollback in fares

With her confidant Mukul Roy set to take charge as Railway Minister tomorrow, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee today indicated there could be some rollback in passenger fare hike.

She said hike in upper class train fares was "tolerable" but stuck to her demand for a rollback of fare hike in sleeper class in which common people travel.

The Hindu : News / National : Mamata indicates rollback in fares

"If our nominee will become Railway Minister then we will modify the fares. There is no problem in the hike in upper class fares. We have no objection...it is tolerable. But for those who are poor, who travel daily in trains or those who travel in sleeper classes, it matters," she said before going to attend the Trinamool Parliamentary party meting here.

Disagreeing with the formula of hike of one paisa or two paisa per km, she said, "In railways there is no travel for a distance of mere one km or two km distance. It is always more than 100 km or so in urban areas for people who go to office daily. If you count those two paisa per km then it will come to a good amount."

Common people travel in sleeper classes. Whatever we do the common people should not suffer. This is our policy," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

Asked who will be the next Railway Minister she threw ample hints about Mukul Roy without naming him saying, "Whatever we have to say we have already said so by writing a letter to the Prime Minister. You do not have to say everyday as it is a tradition followed in democracy. If we change it then only we will give another letter. Letter is already with the PM."

Asked to comment on the PM regretting the departure of Mr. Trivedi, she said, "It is his prerogative to say. Every individual has right to give his opinion. It is their opinion not our opinion."

 

[nrj]

What a greedy hypocrite. She doesn't waste a day to create nuisance & discredit economic policy but not even ready to stand for her ideals and leave UPA.

Will remain with UPA unless humiliated: Mamata Banerjee - India - DNA

Notwithstanding her pin-pricks to the government over various issues, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she was committed to the UPA and would remain with it unless it is humiliated or they throw us out.

What is she waiting for? Some more drama?

 

[thakur_ritesh]

What a greedy hypocrite. She doesn't waste a day to create nuisance & discredit economic policy but not even ready to stand for her ideals and leave UPA.

Will remain with UPA unless humiliated: Mamata Banerjee - India - DNA


What is she waiting for? Some more drama?

She is doing two things simultaneously.

Play the victim card to the gallery (her vote bank) that she is being victimised, and throw a challenge to congress to take the call on her, which if congress does, then congress falls in the trap of victim based politics that mamta is planning.

 

[ant80]

Mukul Roy announces rollback in rail fare hike

NEW DELHI: Newly appointed railway minister Mukul Roy announced a rollback in some of the rail fares that were announced last week in the Rail Budget.

Mukul Roy told Parliament that fares for first and second class passengers in air-conditioned carriages would still go up, but there would be no increase for other classes of travel more commonly used by the poor.

"The proposal to increase (fares) will impact the common man," Roy said. "I intend to give relief by not increasing fares in any of these classes."

The proposed increase in passenger fares, the first in eight years, was aimed at shoring up the finances of a rail network whose dysfunction has become a major drag on the economy.

The objection to the increase, led by UPA ally Trinamool Congress, underscored the inability of Manmohan Singh's government to take unpopular steps and its vulnerability in the face of querulous coalition allies.

Saying it was important to run railways economically and safely, Roy announced there would be no increase in passenger fares.

Mukul Roy also said he intends to launch an aggressive drive to mop up resources for the railways. Unmanned level crossing to be removed, he said.

Former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, who had announced an increase in passenger fares across all classes in the Rail Budget on March 14, faced a lot of flak from Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and was forced to resign over the issue a few days later.

Fares rolled back. What a bunch of ----ing pussies