By TCN News,
New Delhi: The Railway Budget 2010 has just short of disappointment for the minorities as Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today in her second budget did not offer any new scheme to them except the announcement to raise special women railway security force preferably from minorities, SC/ST, OBC and economically backward classes.
Presenting her second budget as Railway Minister in the UPA Government, Mamata Banerjee presented a populist railway budget with no hike in passenger fares and freight tariffs besides more than 100 new trains.
As for schemes directly related to minorities, she announced to continue the extension of students’ concessions to madrasas, higher madrasas and senior madrasas. She announced the extension in her 2009 budget.
As new scheme, she announced to raise a women security force for railways. Personnel for this force to be named ‘Mahila Vahini’ will be preferably raised from minorities, SC/ST, OBC, and economically backward classes
“Security of women passengers will be improved by raising 12 companies of women RPF personnel to be named ‘Mahila Vahini’. RPSF will also be strengthened. Priority will be given to women especially those belonging to minorities, SC/ST, OBC, and economically backward classes,” she said in the budget speech in Lok Sabha today.
Given the backwardness of the minority community, it is to be seen how this scheme will really benefit them.
She also announced that no examination fee will be charged from women, minority and economically backward class candidates for Railway Recruitment Boards’ exams. Besides, question papers now will be made available in local state languages besides Hindi, Urdu and English.
Highlights of Rail Budget 2010:
No increase in passenger fares and freight tariffs
Service charges on e-tickets reduced
E-ticket vans to be extended to Government Medical College Hospitals, Courts, Universities, IT hubs, IITs and IIMs
SMS updates of reservation status and movement of wagons
Ticket centres to be opened at district headquarters and village panchayats
100% concession for cancer patients along with an escort
Modern luggage trolleys with uniformed attendants to assist senior citizens and women passengers
Six clean bottling plants to provide cheaper, clean drinking water to passengers
12 companies of women RPF personnel, ‘Mahila Vahini’, for the security of women passengers
No examination fee for women, minority and economically backward class candidates for Railway Recruitment Boards’ exams
Question papers now will be made available in local state languages besides Hindi, Urdu and English, examinations will be held on the same day in all regions
117 new train projects to be flagged off by the end of March 2010
52 long distance express trains and 28 passenger trains to be introduced
Frequency of 12 trains will be increased and 21 trains will be extended
Special trains to mark Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary, for ladies, for uniformed persons and for tourists
Double-decker coaches to be introduced in two trains each from Delhi and Kolkata
94 stations to be upgraded as Adarsh Stations, 10 more stations to be upgraded as World Class Stations
Automatic fire and smoke detection system to be introduced in 20 trains
All the unmanned Level Crossings (LCs) to be manned within five years
Rs.41,426 crore outlay proposed, allocation for new lines increased to Rs.2,848 crore from Rs.4,411 crore
More money to improve passenger amenities – Rs.1,302 crore in comparision to Rs.923 crore in 2009-10
Railway revenue through branding/advertising to go up from Rs.150 crore to Rs.1,000
Special Task Force to clear investment proposals within 100 days
Concession in freight charges for food-grains and domestic use kerosene
Kisan Vision Project for manufacturing refrigerated containers
Allotment of iron ore rakes would be accessible through the web. RFID technology to be introduced for tracking of wagons
Multi-level parking complexes through PPP route
93 new multi-functional complexes to be developed
National High Speed Rail Authority proposed to plan high speed rail corridor
Houses for all rail employees in next 10 years
522 hospitals, 50 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 10 residential schools, model degree colleges, technical and management institutes for railway employees