With the West Bengal assembly polls round the corner, the political overtone in Mamata Banerjee’s railway budget was predictably more pronounced than sharp thinking on the growth of the Indian railways. The railways minister not only allotted a large chunk of new projects to her home state but also came up with a fresh idea to ensure that none of her successors wound them up.
“We shall create a Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana so that all the projects of the 11th five-year plan can be clubbed with the 12th five-year plan, and the funds shall be non-lapsable,” she said.
Mamata drew sporadic applause when she announced new projects for regions across India — from the Northeast to J&K.
Mamata’s West Bengal focus was resented most by the MPS from Bihar, which had three railway ministers during the last decade. Mamata, in a rare show of political maturity, took the criticism in her stride and defended her position well.
Her budget was dubbed ‘populist’ by detractors. She refuted it, claiming, “I have only kept the interest of the nation in mind.” While the BJP described the budget as “symptomatic” of the dismal state of the UPA government, the Congress described it as a pro-common man budget.
