‘Budget script is mine’

While it may have earned her the displeasure of predecessor Lalu Prasad, the railway budget presented by Mamata Banerjee has come in for praise from the ruling combine, particularly prime minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Singh said, “She has done a very competent job in a short time. She came up with innovative schemes that balance social responsibility with profitability.

“She has presented a budget without imposing any burden by way of increase in passenger fares or freight charges. I compliment her,” he added.

Mukherjee called it a “very good budget, with new ideas”. He said Banerjee “has taken enough care to ensure the railways’ financial health”.

Her ally during her days in the National Democratic Alliance and a former railway minister himself, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said, “She has made a very good beginning and exposed Lalu’s gimmicks.”

The Left found itself in a spot, finding it difficult to criticise her schemes. The CPI(M) said Banerjee had prepared the railway budget with the 2011 West Bengal assembly elections in mind.
CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia said, “It is a fairytale budget which is tall on promises and difficult to implement.”

Lalu said the budget had nothing new. He said Banerjee had used his achievements to build her case. “Is this a budget? She has just read out what I had announced during my stint... She suffers from a complex,” he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, said the budget was based on “fantasy”.