With a lot of mantris within & outside UPA, slamming the Government, the maiden budget of P.K.Bansal was surrounded by a lot of band bajaa!!!
"A bird sitting on the tree has no fear of falling ... not because the branch is solid but because it has faith in its wings."
Mantri ji at his poetic best, speaks as if India has become THE GOLDEN EAGLE from THE GOLDEN SPARROW (SONE KI CHIDIYA).
Rail Budget 2013 has been a soft budget and has failed to make a positive impact. All that one can see is promises…and…PROMISES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN.
As @PMOIndia tweets, it’s a “Reformist & Realistic” budget….reforms are promised and realistic it is, as it’s been framed keeping in mind the 2014 elections.
With passenger fares been increased last month only, Mantri ji has been kind in not increasing them again in the budget.
Impact on Junta Janardan
The rail minister has promised to introduce customer friendly technological initiatives:-
· Free Wi-Fi to be provided on some trains
· E-ticketing through mobile phones
· SMS alerts for passengers providing updates on reservation status
· Next generation e-ticketing system by end of 2013 to be rolled out capable of handling 7200 tickets per minute against 2000 now & 1.20 lakh users simultaneously against 40,000 now.
· Passengers will now be able to book ticket from midnight 12.30am to 11.30pm.
Some other initiatives are:-
· As many as 106 new trains introduced
· 179 escalators and 400 lifts at A 1 and other select stations
· Provision of announcement facility and electronic display boards in trains
· Third party audit and tie up with food testing laboratories for food quality control; ISO certified state-of-the-art base kitchens to be set up in railway premises.
· Anubhiti coaches to be introduced with excellent tech-driven amenities.
· Railways plan Rs.2,000 crore fund for land and station development.
· Executive lounges planned in Bilaspur and Nagpur.
· Rail and bus tickets to be tied up with Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.
· 72 new local trains in Mumbai, 18 in Kolkata.
· More coaches for women, better security.
But where the passengers will have to shell out more will be in services such as tatkal, clerk charges and cancellation charges. The enhanced reservation fee has been scrapped.
Industry Impact
The budget proposes to hike freight rates for 12 commodities, including steel, iron ore and coal, in the range of 5.78-5.81 per cent from April. Another added feature will be the twice a year review of freight rates which now will be linked to changes in fuel cost.
The budget proposes to hike freight rates for 12 commodities, including steel, iron ore and coal, in the range of 5.78-5.81 per cent from April. Another added feature will be the twice a year review of freight rates which now will be linked to changes in fuel cost.
Increase in freight rates would add on to the burden on price rise at a time when there is a general slow-down in the economy and the common man is already suffering.
STEEL: Freight rates on both, domestic movement of iron ore and on finished steel, have been raised by 5.8% which will push the steel rates upwards.
The Minister has promised to invest Rs.800 crore for improving iron ore mines connectivity providing some hope to the industry.
COAL: The proposed increase in coal freight rate by 5.7 per cent will have no effect on the coal sector as the increase will borne by power generating, cement & steel companies, which may lead to a marginal increase respective tariffs & prices.
Nobel Initiatives
· Winners of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Dhyan Chand awards to get free first class passes
· Complementary passes of freedom fighters to be renewed every three years instead of annually
Green Initiatives
· Railway energy management company to be set up to harness solar and wind energy
· 1,000 crossings to be energised by solar power
· Progressive extension of bio-toilets on trains.
International paw marks
Railways set to enter 1 billion ton freight club of China, Russia and US.
Ultimately it was a choice between tightening the belt or loosening the pants and Mantri ji has decided to tighten the belt.
All I can say is JAHAAPANA TUSSI GREAT HO TOFU . . . . . . . .
