Railway Budget 2021: Will there any big bonanza for Indian Railways? Here's what's in store

For the Rail Budget, the government may this year focus more on private trains. Sources told Zee Media that as compared to last fiscal, Railway Budget might just get a 3-5 percent budgetary increase. For the next fiscal, the Railway Ministry has outlined a Budgetary expense of Rs 1.80 lakh crore. Sources added that the Finance Ministry officials have cited that the impact of COVID has been so huge that this demand by the Railways may not be fulfilled.

New Delhi: In the upcoming Union Budget 2021, there might not be many big bonanza for the Indian Railways.

Sources told Zee Media that as compared to last fiscal, Railway Budget might just get a 3-5 percent budgetary increase. For the next fiscal, the Railway Ministry has outlined a Budgetary expense of Rs 1.80 lakh crore. Sources added that the Finance Ministry officials have cited that the impact of COVID has been so huge that this demand by the Railways may not be fulfilled.

Sources further said that for the Fiscal year 2021-22 the Railway Budget to be allocated will be nearly Rs 1.70 lakh crore. Furthermore, the gross budgetary support is expected to be something around Rs 7,5000 crore.

For the Rail Budget, the government may this year focus more on private trains, new train sets for faster connectivity on new routes, better rail connectivity for tourist spots, green energy, expansion of Kisan Rail, expansion of infrastructure for better connectivity in North eastern states.

The Budget session of Parliament will begin on January 29 with the address of President Ram Nath Kovind to the joint sitting of both the Houses and the Union Budget will be presented on February 1. The Budget session of Parliament would conclude on April 8.

The Houses will adjourn on February 15 and meet again on March 8.

Like the previous session, both the Houses would sit in shifts with Rajya Sabha meeting in the forenoon and Lok Sabha in the evening between 4 pm and 9 pm as part of health measures adopted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Question Hour would take place in the Budget session. In the previous session, the Question Hour was not taken up due to paucity of time as both Houses met for four hours each. This time, the Lok Sabha at least, would sit for five hours instead of four every day.

With PTI Inputs