NEW DELHI, Feb 26 – Railway Minister Nitish Kumar today tried to undo the damage done by his predecessor Mamata Banerjee to the North-east in the last Railway Budget, sanctioning a number of long-pending demands including start of project work on Bogibeel bridge and increasing the frequency of the Rajdhani Express to seven days a week. What would bring cheers to the large Marwari community in the region is the proposal to start a weekly Guwahati-Jodhpur-Bikaner via Jaipur train. A new inter-city train service called Jan Shatabdi Express is being introduced between Guwahati-Dimapur. A total number of 16 inter-city train services is proposed to be introduced all over the country. A new passenger train between Guwahati and Bongaigaon via Goalpara is also proposed to be introduced in the Railway Budget for 2002-2003, presented by Railway Minister Nitish Kumar here today.
Meanwhile, a long-felt need of the region was fulfilled with the railways increasing the frequency of the 2435/2436 Rajdhani Express that runs via Lucknow from present two days to four days. “Members from the north-eastern States will be happy to note that the Rajdhani Express train between Guwahati and New Delhi will now run every day,” the minister said. The minister also revived the Bogibeel project by announcing that the project work would start from April. “The House would be happy to note that commencement of work on the Bogibeel bridge over the mighty Brahmaputra will take place during the ensuing Bihu celebrations. We also propose to explore the possibility of other sources of funding of such mega bridges,” the minister said.
Significantly, the Railway Minister in a bid to end the demands for new railway projects, for the first time proposed three major criteria, i.e. the area of the State, population and ongoing of projects in the States. “Members have frequently complained that the allocation of funds for railway projects to different States is not equitable. To meet this perceived sense of injustice, I have decided to allot funds for the projects in different States based on a clear and transparent formula,” he said. The minister further revealed that out of the available budgetary support available for capital expenditure, about 70 per cent is kept for projects. From this 70 per cent, allocation is first made for works in the north-eastern States, which has to be 10 per cent of the funds, he revealed. While the fares for Rajdhani and Shatabi Expresses have not been revised for third year in a row, passengers travelling in other trains from the region have to shell out more. According to the revised fare structure, fares between New Delhi and Guwahati has been hiked significantly by Rs 33 in second class to Rs 206 in AC chair car. The fare for the sleeper class on the same route has been increased to Rs 457 from Rs 393. A second class fare from Guwahati to New Delhi would now cost Rs 286. The fare for AC three tier passage on the same route would now cost Rs 1,284, first class Rs 1,498, AC two tier Rs 2,054 and AC first class Rs 3,993.
Notwithstanding Sri Kumar’s attempt to address the region’s demands, the MPs belonging to the North-east were disappointed with the Budget though they welcomed the increase in frequency of Rajdhani Express and revival of the Bogibeel project. Reacting to the Railway Budget, the chairman of the North-east MPs Forum, PR Kyndiyah described it as disappointing. There were no new projects and no new lines. “North-east is neglected as usual. We feel strongly about it,” he added. Senior Congress MP Bijoy Kumar Handique described the Budget as lacklustre, pointing out that the new trains introduced were long-pending demands of the region. The Bogibeel project has just been revived and we cannot feel euphoric about it,” he asserted. He said that the demand for extension of the South-bound trains from Guwahati to Tinsukia has been ignored. Dr Arun Kumar Sarma of AGP also joined other MPs of the region in criticising the Budget describing it as unsatisfactory. He pointed out that again the Rangiya Rail Division was ignored. Besides, the demands for additional Budgetary support for the north-eastern States have been ignored. While he welcomed revival of the Bogibeel project, he regretted that Sri Kumar did not specify any time-frame for completion of the Rs 1,000-crore project.