New Delhi, Feb 24 (Inditop.com) 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
