Ahamed to oversee passenger amenities, complaints in railway ministry

August 31st, 2009 YANGON - China Monday announced the handing over of 225 railway carriages to Myanmar as part of a deal agreed by the two countries in 2008. The carriages include 20 passenger and 200 freight coaches, and five engines.

August 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the first ever 'Only Ladies' EMU train services in Northern Railway between Delhi-Palwal at New Delhi station today. In the same function, Union Minister and Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh will also inaugurate another 'Only Ladies' EMU train services by remote, which will run from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Panvel in Mumbai suburban in Central Railway.

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The railways ministry has asked the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) to set up budget hotels at all major stations either directly or through the public-private partnership (PPP) route. "IRCTC follows the two packet open competitive bidding system to grant licenses.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, presenting the rail budget for 2009-10 in parliament Friday, said all railway zones have been instructed to ensure availability of 'Janata Khana' - national and regional cuisines - on trains. "National and regional cuisines will be introduced and priority would be given to provision of good quality food, drinking water and toilet facilities and ensure cleanliness on trains and stations," Banerjee said.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has proposed an outlay of Rs.40,745 crore for 2009-2010, which is 2840 crore more than the allocation proposed in the interim budget. "Rs. 15, 675 crore will be deployed through internal resources and Rs.9, 170 crore from market borrowings.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government must allow entry of private players in passenger train operations and railway services to tourist destinations, the Economic Survey tabled in parliament Thursday said. "Private entry into provision of passenger train must be allowed to and from all the tourists destinations," said the survey.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Just a day before the government tables the railway budget, the Economic Survey for 2008-09 has suggested that the government should allow private players in passenger train operations to tourist spots. "Private entry into provision of passenger trains must be allowed to and from all the tourist destinations," said the survey.

June 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The impact of fare cuts, the unavoidable hike in wage bill, slower revenue growth and the freebies she has been promising will likely force a deficit budget from Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday, senior officials said. According to their estimates, the fare cuts announced by former railway minister Lalu Prasad and the impact of the Sixth Pay Commission may together result in an annualised loss of Rs.17,000 crore.

June 23rd, 2009 KOLKATA - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee has imposed restrictions on foreign tours by officials of her ministry. "It is not possible to stop foreign tours when transfer of technology is required, but we will try to restrict tours for other purposes," Banerjee told reporters after an official function here.

June 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Speedy execution of pending projects, modernisation of stations and improvement of passenger amenities are among the suggestions the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has made to the railways ministry. "Despite marked improvement in the financial position, Indian Railways continue to face issues such as outdated technology, poor state of railway stations, lack of basic passenger amenities, capacity constraints and shortage of funds for investment," the chamber said in a 20-point charter submitted to the ministry.

June 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has allocated equal work to her two Ministers of State E Ahmed and K H Muniyappa. According to a Railway Ministry notification, apart from her home state of West Bengal the Trinmool Congress leader has decided to keep the states like Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra under her direct supervision.

June 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said that Indian Railways' determined efforts will be to keep enhancing passenger amenities and comforts to a higher level, both in trains and on railway stations. In her message to the Railway personnel after assuming the charge of office of the Union Railway Minister, Banerjee urged all the railwaymen to provide 'service with smile'.

June 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The railways ministry will carry forward the projects taken up by the former minister, Lalu Prasad, including the ambitious bullet train proposal, Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa said here Monday.

May 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Veteran Congress leader Vayalar Ravi Thursday said he was happy to retain the charge of the overseas Indian affairs ministry. "I'm very happy to come back to the same ministry," Vayalar Ravi told IANS after the announcement of portfolios late in the evening.

May 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The representation of Muslims in the new council of ministers has come down from six in the previous government to five - two cabinet ministers and three ministers of state. The two Muslim cabinet ministers are from Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad.