BUDGETS (RAILWAY) 2012-2013
As he presents his first rail budget, Dinesh Trivedi has his task cut out. His focus, he says, is three-pronged: "Safety, safety, safety." Following very closely behind are consolidation, decongestion and modernization.
So aided by poetry, quotable quotes and many mentions of his party chief and predecessor Mamata Banerjee, the railway minister today proposed the highest ever annual plan outlay for the railways at Rs 60,100 crore, of which Rs 50,000 crore he said, would be from market borrowing. Mr Trivedi’s big emphasis will be on safety. This would include setting up an independent Railway safety authority and phasing out level crossings in five years among other initiatives.
Time now, said the minister, for a national policy on railways, as he sought big financial support from the government for the world’s second largest railway network. The minister says he needs to modernize 19,000 km of rail tracks; also new tracks are needed, he says, in tribal areas and backward regions of the country need to be connected. The bill for this will be an estimated Rs 6,467 crore.
So aided by poetry, quotable quotes and many mentions of his party chief and predecessor Mamata Banerjee, the railway minister today proposed the highest ever annual plan outlay for the railways at Rs 60,100 crore, of which Rs 50,000 crore he said, would be from market borrowing. Mr Trivedi’s big emphasis will be on safety. This would include setting up an independent Railway safety authority and phasing out level crossings in five years among other initiatives.
Time now, said the minister, for a national policy on railways, as he sought big financial support from the government for the world’s second largest railway network. The minister says he needs to modernize 19,000 km of rail tracks; also new tracks are needed, he says, in tribal areas and backward regions of the country need to be connected. The bill for this will be an estimated Rs 6,467 crore.
The minister said that 725 km of new lines will be completed in this year and proposed 700 km of new line to be built in 2012-13. 100 stations via PPP route have been planned over the next 5-years, he added.
Addressing the key issue of rising operating ratio, Mr Trivedi proposed to bring doe the operating ratio from 95% currently to 84.9% in 2012-13. Operating ratio is the amount of money spent for every rupee earned and it has been rising to alarming levels.
Earlier, Trivedi started his speech by thanking the PM, UPA Chairman Sonia Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and the leader of opposition. I am thankful the 14-lakh strong rail parivar, Trivedi said.
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