Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Wednesday, Jul 07, 2004
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Wednesday, Jul 07, 2004 |
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Railway Budget Rail Budget `a big disappointment' Our Bureau
Bangalore , July 6 THE Railway Budget was a major disappointment for Karnataka as there was no mention of any specific proposals or allocation for the early completion of the long-delayed Hassan-Mangalore line gauge conversion. This would impede the development of the region as well as the implementation of the special economic zone. The tourism potential offered by the region would also remain untapped. However, the maiden presentation of the Budget by the Railway Minister, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, was not without some salient features. There were several proposals of the Budget, which were to be welcomed, said Mr S. Chandrasekhar, President of Greater Mysore Chamber of Industry. He said allocation of Rs 215 crore for improving passenger amenities was a good move while retention of existing freight rates, proposal of 10 per cent rebate on heavy machinery, electrification of additional routes and introduction of more express trains were to be welcomed. The Railway Minister has rightly focused on strengthening the infrastructure of the system and has given appropriate emphasis for modernisation. The proposal for adding 1,650 km of railway lines and integrating a multimodal system within the Railways was a good move. Some of the other proposals such as improving security and announcement for introducing systems for improving safety in the Railways could at best be termed as tinkering on the periphery in the absence of any realistic proposals. Not even a remote mention has been made to improve the quality of rolling stock and strengthening of tracks, Mr Chandrasekhar said.
More Stories on : Railway Budget | Karnataka
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