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SAFETY NEVER SLEEPS

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While performing our duties in the length and breadth of the country, we should always be alert to maintain the highest level of safety and security of Indian railways. I always believe that 'safety never sleeps'. It is our bouden duty not to compromise on safety standards and to ensure security of the travelling millions of fellow countrymen" Mamata Banerjee to Indian Railways' family members

 

RAILWAY ZONES

Central
Eastern
Northern
Northeast Eastern
North Frontier
Southern
South Central
South Eastern  
Western Railway
East Central
North Western
East Coast
South Western
North Central
West Central
South East Central
Metro Railway

 


Budget 2009-10: An approach for ‘inclusive growth’

INDIA’s Railway budget for 2009-10 will have approach for ‘inclusive growth’ and expansion of rail network to take development to every corner of the country. In her budget speech the Railways minister Mamata Banerjee said innovative financing will be adopted. The Railways will come out with White Paper on organizational, operational and financial status based on the last five years’ performance and develop Vision-2020 with short and long term strategy and plan of action.

A project monitoring committee will be set up for developing mechanism to avoid slippage in project delivery. Special monitoring will be taken up for all National Rail Projects. She also proposed an expert committee headed by Sam Pitroda to suggest innovations to utilize optic fibre cable network of Railways and take information technology to remote areas.

An astute politician Mamata Banerjee, chairperson of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), is back on rails. For the second time she has become India’s Railways Minister, this time of the Congress(I)-led UPA government. Earlier, in 1999 after joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government she became the second woman Railway Minister of country. Earlier, Mohsina Kidwai was the Minister of Transport for a brief period in 1986 which included Ministry of Railways. In 2000, Mamata Banerjee presented her first Railway Budget. On March 16, 2001 she resigned as the Railway minister.

She was recently re-elected to 15th Lok Sabha on her 7th term from Kolkata (Dakshin) constituency in West Bengal.


Born on 5th January, 1955 in Kolkata, Banerjee has obtained degrees of M.A., B.Ed and LL.B. as well as Trained in Work Education. She earlier also held the Railway portfolio as Union Cabinet Minister during 13th October 1999 to 16th march 2001. During her long parliamentary career, she was member of various important parliamentary committees and held several government social and political posts.

Banerjee was the General Secretary of Mahila Congress (I), West Bengal, from 1976 to 1980. In 1984, she was elected to the 8th Lok Sabha for the first time in 1985 she became a member of the committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. She became General Secretary, Indian National Congress (I) in the year 1986. In 1990 she was the President of Youth Congress, West Bengal. In 1991, she was re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha and became Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development (Department of Youth Affairs and Sports; and Women and Child Development). In 1996, she was re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha and was the Member, Committee on Home Affairs and Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs.

In 1997, she founded All India Trinamool Congress and was elected its Chairperson. In 1998, she was re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha and was Chairman Committee on Railways. In 1999, she was re-elected to the 13th Lok Sabha and became Union Cabinet Railway Minister and later served as the Union Cabinet Minister of Coal and Mines. She was re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha in 2004.

Benerjee is connected with different social and human rights organizations to promote the welfare of poor, children and women; providing free legal aid to the poor and; organizing various health camps for mothers and children.

She has authored a number of books on various themes in Bengali and English which include, Upalabdhi, Ashani Shanket Janatar Darbare, Maa, Pallabi, Manavik, Motherland, Crocodile Island, Trinamool, Sishu Sathi, Anubhuti, Struggle for Existence. Abishasya, Janmaini, Ekantee, Struggle for Existence, Abhisaso, Andolaner Kolkata, Ek Guchcha Bhavna, Smile, Jago Bangla, Anasan Keno, Langer, Gantantra Lazza, Salaughter of Democracy, Ajob Chora and Ma-Matee-Manush. Her love for music, songs, painting and art is also well known.

She has widely travelled to various countries and represented India in UN General Assembly; as a woman parliamentarian at World Women Round Table Conference held at Russia and Woman Youth Conference at Vietnam. She also attended the Working Women Conference of ILO and ICFTU at Kuala Lumpur.


There will be no increase in passenger fare and freight tariff.The minister has proposed proposed an outlay of Rs,.40,745 cr. for 2009-10. Out of this, Rs.2,921 cr. will be spent on new lines, Rs.1,750 cr. on gauge conversion and Rs.1,102 cr. on passenger amenities, which is 119% more than the allocation in the interim budget. Rs.424 cr. will also be spent on railway staff amenities. The freight loading target has been fixed at 882 million tonne and estimated gross freight receipt at Rs.88,419 cr.
Giving an overview of financial performance of the Railways in 2008-09, the minister informed that freight loading during the period grew by 5 percent while traffic receipt increased by 11.4 per cent to reach Rs. 79,862 cr.

The budget has proposals for 7 new lines, Gauge conversion of 17 lines and doubling of 13 railway lines. In addition, proposals for 53 new lines, 3 gauge conversion and doubling of 12 lines will be processed during the year.

Proposing revision in Tatkal Scheme to make it more passenger friendly, the Railway minister said that both the advance booking time and minimum charge will be reduced.Perceptible improvement will be ensured in passenger amenities and safety and security will be given utmost importance, she added. Cleanliness and quality of railway catering will be improved with focus on strict monitoring. The ticketing facilities will be taken to the grassroot level. Under the ‘Maa Mati Manush’ initiative, computerized tickets will also be made available through Post Offices. Mobile ticketing vans, ‘Mushkil Aasaan’, will also be introduced to provide services in remote areas.

Timely track renewal, modernization of signals and use of digital ultrasonic flaw detectors will be introduced for the safety of the passengers besides Integrated Security Scheme at 140 vulnerable and sensitive stations. Women RPF Squads, exclusively for women passengers, will also be introduced.

The Press persons will get increased concession of 50% instead of existing 30%. Once in a year their spouse can also travel with 50% concession.

A new scheme “Izzat” for travel with dignity is being introduced. Under this scheme the people in unorganized sector with monthly income upto Rs. 1,500 can avail concessional monthly season ticket of Rs.25 for travel upto 100 k.m. The existing student concession is to be extended to students of Madrasas and students in Kolkata will now have the MST facilities for Kolkata Metro also. To provide relief to women passengers the minister proposed ‘only ladies’ EMU trains in Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata suburban during rush hours. She also announced new ‘Yuva trains’ dedicated to young generation from rural hinterland to major metros with concessional rail fare but with air-conditioned facilities.

The Railway minister announced 12 new point to point, non-stop ‘Duronto’ trains, 57 new train services, extension of 27 trains and increase in frequency of 13 trains. The Minister also proposed introduction of Air-conditioned double decker coaches for inter-city travel. Fifty stations will be developed as world class stations and 375 stations as ‘Adarsh Stations’ with improved basic amenties. Multi functional complexes with shopping facilities, food stalls, budget hotels are to be constructed at 50 railway stations, which serve as centres of pilgrimage, tourist and industry.

The minister announced extensive availability of ‘Janata Khana’, in which national and regional cuisines will be ensured. To improve the cleanliness, the onboard house keeping scheme (OBHS) will cover 200 additional pairs of trains. The long distance trains will have onboard availability of doctors and infotainment services. She also proposed 1000 new passenger reservation locations and expansion of Unreserved Ticketing System terminal from 5000 to 8000, In addition, automated ticket vending machines will be installed at 200 large and medium size stations.

Stressing on the extension of facilities for handicapped persons, the Minister said that the Railway will have more ramps, lifts, escalators and special coaches for physically challenged and aged persons.

Reiterating her priority to extend railway services to farmers, she announced special trains to ferry perishable agro products like fruits, vegetables and also village handicrafts, cottage industry and textile products from production clusters to consumer clusters. She also proposed premium freight service for container movement with assured transit time and a mega logistic hub alongside eastern and western dedicated freight corridors. Premium parcel services with guaranteed transit time on pilot basis will be introduced on three routes. During 2009-10, Railway would acquire 18,000 new wagons against 11,000 in 2008-09.

The minister announced creation of North-East Rail Development Fund for timely completion of national projects in the North Eastern region and said Quazigund-Anantnag new line in Kashmir will be completed by next month. A new factory at Kanchrapara-Halisahar for manufacturing rail coaches and setting up 1000 MW power plant at Adra, in collaboration with Ministry of Power are also proposed in the budget.

Welfare of railway staff, tehe minister underlined, will be given high priority. 6560 staff quarters will be constructed in 2009-10 and indoor stadia will be developed in major railway divisions and zones. Increased contribution of Rs.350 per employees to Staff Benefit Fund will continue for a year, with Rs.100 per employee for women empowerment. Scholarships will be introduced for the higher education of girl children of Group ‘D’ staff. She proposed attached medical colleges with railway hospitals at 18 locations and one burn unit at major hospitals. The Minister said the policy on Railway Recruitment Boards will be reviewed. Special recruitment drives for filling vacancies of SC and ST and physically handicapped will also be undertaken.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India

Updated on July 3, 2009