Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) Highlights of the 2010-11 railway budget presented by Mamata Banerjee in parliament Wednesday:
– No increase in passenger fares

– Rs.100 reduction in freight per wagon for fertilisers and kerosene

– Free travel for cancer patients in 3rd AC classes

– Cost-sharing in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode in some gauge-conversion projects

– Further extension of Kolkata Metro on priority basis; stations to be named after Bahadur Shah Zafar, Tagore family

– Karmabhoomi trains to be introduced for migrant labour

– New Janmabhoomi train between Ahmedabad and Udhampur

– Special “Bharat Teertha” train to be run around India to commemorate Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary

– Railway line to be extended from Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir

– Andaman and Nicobar Islands to get railway line from Port Blair to Diglipur

– Sikkim capital Gangtok to be connected by rail from Rangpo

– 2011 being 150th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, special train to be run from West Bengal to Bangladesh

– Impact of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations placed at Rs.55,000 crore

– Gross earnings in 2009-10 estimated at Rs.88,281 crore

– Working expenditure in 2009-10 estimated at Rs.83,440 crore

– Expenses during 2010-11 estimated at Rs.87,100 crore

– Thrust on expansion in 2010-11 with allocation of Rs.4,411 crore

– Kashmir rail link to be extended to Sopore in the north of the valley

– Net profit of Rs.1,328 crore in 2009-10

– 10 automobile ancillary hubs to be created

– Twenty-two million energy saving CFLs for lighting distributed already

– Policy decision to employ one member of family whose land is requisitioned for railway projects

– North-south, east-west dedicated freight corridors to be created

– Construction of high-speed passenger rail corridors envisaged

– More multi-functional hospitals to be set up

– Educational facilities to be set up for children of 80,000 women families

– Special facilities to be established for gangmen

– Insurance facilities for licensed porters as part of railway’s corporate social responsibility

– Centre for railway research to be established with Indian Institutes of Technology and Defence Research and Development Organisation

– Will involve unions in policy making

– Integral Coach Factory Chennai to be further modernised

– New wagon repair shop in Mumbai

– Design, development and testing centre for railway wheels at Bangalore

– Within five years, all unmanned level crossings to be manned

– Construction of more underpasses, besides road overbridges

– Greater coordination with state governments to protect railway property

– Security of women passengers to be improved

– Ex-servicemen to be employed in Railway Protection Force

– Five sports academies to be set up; astroturf to be provided for development of hockey; employment opportunities for sports persons

– Railways to be lead partner for Commonwealth Games

– Special drive to increase passenger amenities

– Upgradation of 94 stations

– Six new drinking water bottling plants in PPP mode

– Modern toilets at railway stations

– More ticketing centres to help the public

– Acquisition of cutting edge safety technology

– 1,000 route km to be created

– Special task force for clearing investment proposals in 100 days

– New business model to be created

– No privatisation; railways will remain with government but with greater participation of business community

– 117 of 120 new trains for current fiscal to be flagged off