Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) In an indication of her future moves in case the Trinamool Congress wins the West Bengal assembly elections, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said the work of the railways should go on unhindered irrespective of whether she was the minister or not.

Touted to become the state chief minister if the Trinamool Congress ousts the Left parties in West Bengal, Banerjee said: “I may remain tomorrow or not (as railway minister). Somebody else may come and take over… but there has to be some system for proper rail services. We have to do it.”

Banerjee was replying to the debate on the railway budget, which the Lok Sabha later passed by a voice vote.

Combative as ever, Banerjee also countered the attacks of her detractors that she was announcing railway projects for West Bengal that had no Planning Commission approval.

“I have not done anything without the approval of Planning Commission. I will do it within the norms and not outside the norms of the Planning Commission and constitution. Anybody can have differences of opinion with me on my policies, but they should not play politics with development,” she said.

Banerjee said railways was one field in which India could do better and help the economy to grow faster.

“Aap mujhe gali do ye kuch aur. Magar hum kuch kar dikayenge. (You can unleash expletives, but we will perform)…This is one area India can go faster and faster. Is liye Vision 2020 diya hai. (That’s why we have prepared the Vision 2020 document for railway projects),” she said.

Noting that long-pending projects of the railway were like “chronic diseases”, the minister said she had discussed them with the Planning Commission, the prime minister and finance minister and later decided to place some of the projects under the 12th Five Year Plan.

She also objected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacking her on what it termed as her Bengal-centric railway budget. “It is not correct. I do not agree with this,” she said.

The minister said she had “the heart to give more” rail lines, train services and stoppages as per the request of the Members of Parliament, but there was no scope for more when the available resources were looked at.

“More train services are not possible, because there are not enough engines and coaches to meet all the demands. More stoppages are also not possible. This is not a local bus service. Railways will get disturbed. Shatabdi, Rajdhani and Duranto will not remain what they are if we increase stoppages,” she said.

Banerjee said the passengers wanted punctuality in train services, but it was not possible till ‘rail roko’ agitations continued in various states.

“You want punctuality and also rail roko. Both cannot go together. Railway is an essential service,” she said.

With regard to railway safety, Banerjee said the focus in the next fiscal would be to improve safety at unmanned level crossings, fitting of anti-collision devices in eight railway zones. “This will be a great achievement from the safety point of view of railways,” she said.