Zeebiz Bureau
New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday presented a populist Rail Budget for 2010-11 fiscal by leaving the passenger fares untouched, cutting the freight charges of grain and kerosene, and announcing 52 new long distance trains. The Budget also proposed enhanced cooperation with the private sector to expand the world’s second largest railway network.
In her 110-minute speech in the Lok Sabha, the minister said “social responsibility” is the motto of the Railways rather than economic viability, and added she did not want to “impose any burden” on the citizens.
"Therefore, I do not propose any increase in passenger fares of any class or category of trains. Similarly, I do not intend to increase freight tariff," Banerjee said.
She further ruled out privatization of the railways, but said the expansion of the PSU could be undertaken through public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS:
Passenger Amenities
Connectivity is key to India’s growth
People’s need for rail infrastructure unfulfilled – investment model has been drawn
Special drive for passenger amenities and cleanliness
Introduced ‘janata ahaar’
Other suggestions regarding food being looked into
To provide economical food in trains
Provide cheap, clean drinking water to passengers
Six bottling plants for clean drinking water through PPP model
SMS reservation, updates, double-deckers implemented
Attendants for senior citizens, children and women for boarding and alighting
E-ticket based mobile van to provide reservation at important places like hospitals, court, IT centres
Introduce green toilets in at least 10 trains
52 new long distance trains, 28 passenger trains and 10 Durontos to be launched
Tourist trains to run on 16 routes
Modern trolleys for senior citizens and handicapped
Service charge on sleeper class cut to Rs 10
A/C class service charge cut from Rs 40 to 20
Fare concession to film industry, journalists
Fare concession for children of journalists
E-ticket service charges reduced
Free travel for cancer patients on AC-3 class
Of 120 new trains, 117 to be flagged off by March
To launch 2 double-decker trains on pilot basis
To open ticket counters at village, panchayat level
To introduce more passenger trains
New Trains
Of 120 new trains, 117 to be flagged off by March
Routes of 21 trains to be extended
A special train from India to Bangladesh to commemorate 150th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore
‘Karmabhoomi’ trains for working class in Punjab, Bihar, Bengal
To launch new express trains ‘Janambhoomi’
To launch cross-country ‘Bharat Tirath’ trains
Freight:
No change in freight rates
Special freight trains for vegetables, vehicles
Roll in and roll off service
Western corridor agreement to be signed next month
Four new dedicated freight corridors
East west corridor to be set up
South-South corridor also proposed
Rs 100 per wagon cut on kerosene and food grain freight
Freight loading at 890 million tonnes during FY’10
See 944 million tonnes freight loading target FY11
To exceed freight loading target by 8 million tonnes
To notify policy for special freight trains soon
To ink Western Corridor agreement with Japanese firm
Door-to-door service for freight
Need high speed freight corridors
To allow iron ore Rake booking via internet
Premium tatkal service for parcel, freight movement
To buy 480 locomotives in FY11
Budgetary Figures:
FY 11 gross budgetary support seen at Rs 15,800 cr
Freight loading target at 944 million tones in FY 11
FY 11 pension fund at Rs 14,500 cr
FY 11 working spend at Rs 87,100 cr
FY 11 plan outlay at Rs 41,426 cr
FY 11 market borrowing at Rs 91,200 cr
FY 11 new line allocation to cost Rs 4411 cr
FY 11 operating ratio seen at 93.2 percent
Rs 1,302 crore for passenger amenities in the 2010-11 against Rs 923 crore last year
Gross traffic receipt for 2010-11 pegged at Rs 94,765 crore
Train passenger traffic to rise by 5.3 percent in FY 11
Despite slowdown, Railways to exceed freight loading target by eight million tonnes during 2009-10
Revenue from non-core business of Railways to go up from Rs 150 crore to Rs 1,000 crore
Saved Rs 2000 crore due to austerity drive
Impact of Sixth Pay Commission at Rs 55000 crore
Plan to raise Rs 10,000-20,000 cr in 2011
IRFC FY 11 market borrowing at Rs 88,400 cr
Rs 1000 cr set aside for Metro projects
FY11 dividend to exchequer Rs 6,608 crore
Railways’ FY09 combined turnover Rs 13,641 crore
Railways FY09 net profit Rs 1328 crore
To surpass FY10 freight target
FY10 revised estimate on gross earning Rs 88,200 crore
Rs 6,490 crore net revenue revised estmate for FY10
FY11 dividend liability Rs 6600 crore
FY11 additional budget support Rs 3,700 crore for 11 projects
Revenue via advertisement seen up at Rs 1000 crore
Infrastructure:
Work started on 67 multifunctional complexes
To set up 93 more multi-functional station complexes
To construct more subways, low height flyovers
More underpasses to be built
To set up coach factory in Singur if land available
To set up "Golden Rail Corridor"
To upgrade 94 stations as 'Adarsh'
To upgrade 10 major stations as 'worldclass'
World-class stations to start within timeframe
High-speed rail network a priority
PPP model for multi-layer parking
Rail network of 64,015 km so far
Automobiles hubs in 10 centres in PPP mode
1000 kms of new lines in one year vis-à-vis 180-km record so far
Target of 25000 kms in Mission 2020
New loco training centre to be set up in Kharagpur
Track training centre in Belighata, West Bengal
Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) capacity to be increased from 200 to 275 locomotives/per year
Five new coach factories to be set up
Rae Bareli, Palakkad, Madherpura coach factories to start functioning this year
Wagon repair shop in Badnera in Maharashtra
Design development centre for wheels to be set up in Bangalore
Chennai coach factory to be modernised; a second factory to be also set up
Rail Axle Factory in Mumbai, Amravati, Jalpaiguri
Wagon factory to be set up in – Secunderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Guwahati
To set up diesel plant in West Bengal
Wagon repair factory in Mumbai
Railways to acquire 18,000 new wagons
Port connectivity via PPP
To achieve 700 km doubling, 800 gauge conversion in FY 11
To achieve 1000 km electrification in FY 11
1,021 route km doubling to be complete in a year
Gauge Conversion: Triunalveli-Tensaki, Dindigul-Palakkad, Chintamani-Chikballpur, Katiahar-Tejnaiarnapur, Chidwara-Nainpur-Mandla
Doubling: Talcher-Sambalpur, Mancheral-Pedampaet
Third-Line: Durg-Rajnandgaon
Electrification: Chapra-Varanasi-Allahabad, Bellary-Vasco, Bankura-Rainagar, Secundrabad-Medchal
To set up new refrigerated container unit
Investment:
Large quantum of investment needed for Railways
To invest Rs 858 crores under PPP projects FY11
Special task force to clear proposals for investment within 100 days
No privatization but a new business model to be developed
Separate structure for implementation of biz model
Will involve employees and unions in investment programme
Announcements:
Have created Mission 2020 - divided in short, medium and long terms
Mission 2020 will be a 10-year plan
English, Hindi, Urdu and local languages to be used for railway exams
Examination fee to be waived for poor, minority, SC/ST and women candidates
Concession for madrassa students, artists and journalists achieved
To improve technology to reduce incidents of accidents
Anti-collision devices (ACDs) and fire fighting devices to be put up
ACDs functioning in NF railways, to be introduced in 3 more zones
Of 17,000 unmanned crossings, 3,000 to be manned
All rail crossings to be manned in 5 years
Modern trolleys at all important stations
Automatic fire detection to be implemented on pilot
To provide fire alarms in long distance trains
New signaling system to be installed
More amendment for RPF reorganisation
To raise 12 companies of women RPF - to be called as ‘mahila vahini’
Ex-servicemen to be inducted in RPF
Five sports academies at Delhi, Secunderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai
Higher rail employment for sports persons
Increased employment opportunities for sportsmen
To run special trains for Commonwealth Games
Rabindranath Tagore related museums in Bolpur and Howrah
Rail Cultural Board to be set up
MoU with HRD and Health Ministries to set up 381 diagnostic centres across India
101 secondary hospitals to be set up
Model degree colleges, technical institutes will be also set up on railway land
‘Rashtriya swasthya bima yojna’ to be extended to porters and vendors
Multi-Functional health centres in 522 locations
New housing scheme for railway employees
Research partnership with premier institutes
Ten ecological parks to be set up
Employment to one member of the land losing family
20 hostels for women and children
Funding for all Metro projects raised by 55 percent
States to share burden of doubling, electrification
Master Plan for Northeastern region
To route socially desirable projects through plan panel
50 crèches for Railway employees’ children
To arrange funds for long term plans
To extend health scheme for hawkers, vendors
Rail research centre to be set up at IIT Kharagpur
Other Highlights:
Have got 5000 requests, but to do something is better than doing nothing at all
Administrative delays deter investors
Pitches for tie-up with businesses for development of railways
Want to be bench-marked with the best
Lagging in roping in post office
All commitments have been fulfilled in a span of just 7 months
Increased financial powers of field officers
Slams ‘rail roko’ protests as they cause inconvenience
Law and Order a state subject, not Railways’ responsibility
Railways will be the lead partner of Commonwealth Games
14 lakh employees in Indian Railways
Passenger earning impacted due to adverse climatic conditions in North India
Considered economic viability while formulating budget
Also considered social responsibility in budget
Objective is inclusive growth
Mission is country's development
Goal is to unite country via railways
Railways is lifeline of country
Expectations from Railways high
Want to help everyone with limited infrastructure facilities
Rail infrastructure needs still unfulfilled
Need innovative financing for Rail projects
Need to ensure simple, friendly policy norms
To better infrastructure by joining hands with private sector
Need to develop new PPP business model
Separate structure for implementing plans
Security of passengers also a challenge
Want to strengthen Railway Police Force
No forceful acquisition of land for rail projects
Suburban Services:
Mumbai:
101 additional local train services
MUTP Phase 1 by year-end, Phase 2 by 2014
Chennai:
New services in Chennai suburban services
MRTS from St Thomas Mount to Vallichary in progress
Kolkata:
Extension of Kolkata Metro
Five metro stations to be renamed and redeveloped
New services from Sealdah
New Lines:
Lohardaga-Korba
Madurai-Kottyam
Maduri-Tuticorin
Mysore-Medekeri
Amethi-Shahgunj
Baramulla-Kupwara
Bilapur-Rampur
Chandigarh-Dehradun
Daurala-Bijnor
Dhule-Amlanar
Dindigul-Kumli
Etawah-Kashganj
Pawal-Alwar
Pandurranjgpuram-Bhdravhalam
Patilai-Kurukshtra
Pendra road-Korba
Bilaspur to Leh via Manali
Bhiwada-Bina
Jagdalpur-Dantewada
Jaisalmer-Barmer
Jammu-Poonch
Ramtek-Goteganj
Ranchi-Kanji
Rampur-Gangtok
Roorkee-Hariwdwar
Sitapur-Bhairach
Todi-Chatra
Jhaja-Giridih
Joginder-Mandi
Kachiguda-Chitral
Tumkur-Davengere
Udhampur-Katra-Doda-Kishtwar
Agartala-Akura-Bangladesh
First Published: Thursday, February 25, 2010, 12:32