By IANS,
New Delhi : Amidst much speculation and expectations, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday gave final touches to the rail budget, to be presented in parliament Friday.
Shifting from the claims of high surplus by her predecessor Lalu Prasad, Banerjee has maintained from the day she assumed charge that her focus would be on improving passenger amenities and rationalisation of services such as Tatkal (instant ticketing) service.
And though she has refused to shed any light on the nature of the budget, it is expected to be pro-people without any hike in fares, new trains, rehauling of the Tatkal scheme and speeding up of the freight corridor project.
“I am not against the commercialisation of the railways but it must be with a human face,” Banerjee has said.
If the budget is overly pro-people, it is going to be a tightrope walk for Banerjee as she also has to maintain revenue growth amidst the burden of slowdown, declining freight earnings and the burden of the higher salary outgo following the Six Pay Commission recommendations.