Bonanza for Maharashtra in railway budget

July 15th, 2009 MUMBAI - Security has been beefed up in Mumbai and neighboring districts following an Intelligence Bureau (IB) terror alert. According to Maharashtra's Minister of State for Home, Naseem Khan, vigil has been increased at railway stations and major financial institutions, based on the IB input.

July 7th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Rail services were affected at various places in Orissa Tuesday following demonstrations at railway stations by the youth wing of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to protest the alleged neglect of the state by the central government in the railway budget. Although the demonstrations were peaceful, railway officials said the movement of trains was affected as protesters sat on the tracks in some places for nearly two hours.

July 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday asked Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee "not to make Indian Railways an East India Company and alleged that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has favoured West Bengal at the cost of many other states in the rail budget. "India is not (West) Bengal.

July 4th, 2009 MUMBAI/KOLKATA - Commuters in Mumbai, by and large, have welcomed this year's Railway Budget, which Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee tabled in Parliament on Friday. Most of Mamata's 13.6 million local train commuters described the budget provisions from travel as satisfactory.

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 HYDERABAD - Andhra Pradesh Friday conveyed its unhappiness to Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee over the raw deal the state has received in the 2009-10 railway budget. The Congress government in the state feels that injustice has been done to the state as the budget proposed no new projects for the state except a superfast train between Visakhaptnam and Mumbai and development of Secunderabad and Tirupati railway stations.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in parliament house Friday morning to present her ministry's budget for this fiscal, promising to address the demands of the average passenger. "My budget will be of the people, by the people and for the people," Banerjee told reporters before leaving for parliament house to present the railway budget in Lok Sabha, the lower house.

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 24th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has written to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, listing the state's demands, including that of four new trains and five new railway lines, to be incorporated in this year's rail budget, an official said Wednesday. "Since the railway budget is schedule to be presented July 3, Raman Singh has sent a letter to the railway minister listing out Chhattisgarh's demands," the official told IANS.

June 4th, 2009 MUMBAI - The budget of Maharashtra for fiscal 2009-10 will be tabled in both the houses of the State Legislature today. State Finance Minister Dilip Valse Patil will present the budget in the Assembly this afternoon.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - High global oil prices, that saw a barrel of crude sell for nearly $150 per barrel at one point last year, has secured unexpected bonanza to the government in the form of royalty and profit petroleum, budget papers showed Monday. Against the budgeted receipts of Rs.6,777.04 crore (Rs.67.77 billion/$1.35 billion) for this fiscal from petroleum, revised receipts from royalty, profit petroleum and oil exploration licensing fee have been pegged at Rs.9,423.23 crore (Rs.94.23 billion/$1.88 billion).

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the interim rail budget for next fiscal presented by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in Lok Sabha Friday: * Railways will create record surplus of Rs.900 billion (Rs.90,000 crore) this fiscal * In past five years, no burden imposed on train passengers * Railways managed 8 percent growth in freight loading * Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced

February 12th, 2009 RAIPUR - The interim railway budget presented Friday by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad has let down expectations of Chhattisgarh despite the fact that the state generates high revenue for the railways, Chief minister Raman Singh said here. 'The interim rail budget is disappointing, it has let down expectations of millions of people of Chhattisgarh,' said Singh in his reaction to the interim budget.

February 12th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa has been neglected in interim railway budget presented by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad in Parliament Friday, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said here. 'I am disappointed as Orissa has been neglected,' Patnaik told reporters here, adding that only one new express train was proposed to be introduced in the state in 2009-2010.

February 12th, 2009 BHOPAL - The interim railway budget presented Friday is disappointing for Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. 'The proposals like plying a daily Habibganj-Kurla train, running daily train between Bhopal and Lucknow, making the Puri-Jaipur Express bi-weekly, extending the Shatabdi to Indore, starting a third Bina-Itarsi line and adding a coach from Bhopal to the Jabalpur Mumbai-Garib Rath have not been implemented,' he said in a statement.