As Mamata Banerjee rattled off the rail budget, undeterred by interruptions from some MPs, Lalu Prasad sat quietly, not once raising an objection - a far cry from last year’s presentation.
As a feisty Mamata Banerjee rattled off the rail budget on Wednesday, undeterred by interruptions from some MPs, predecessor Lalu Prasad sat quietly, not once raising an objection - a far cry from last year’s presentation when the two kept getting into arguments.
After the budget too, the former railway minister sat quietly in the central hall of parliament. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, who was credited with scripting the “rags-to-riches story” of the once debt-ridden railways not so long ago, was probably feeling the effects of being pushed into political obscurity following the electoral rout of his party in last year’s general elections.
It took several hours for Lalu to firm up his comments on Didi’s budget. “This budget has nothing new to offer. Projects announced in my term as railway minister under UPA-I still haven’t taken off. The railways, which witnessed unprecedented progress in my term, is in reverse gear. Its financial position is fast deteriorating,” he said.
With Bihar going to polls later this year, the RJD chief, who is fighting for his party’s revival, made it a point to highlight the “step-motherly” treatment meted out to the state.
“The expansion of rail infrastructure in Bihar has received a step-motherly treatment. Hardly any progress has been made either in terms of allocation of funds or execution of projects sanctioned in previous years. The diesel and electric locomotive factories in Chhapra and Madhepura announced in my term are yet to start,” Lalu said.
While Mamata had criticised him in her previous budget for showing inflated revenues and profits, Lalu stuck to his earlier claims and blamed her for the decline in revenues. “The net surplus has come down to Rs951 crore from Rs13,431 crore in 2007-08 and the appropriation to capital fund has come down to zero from Rs11,072 crore. There is no focus and direction in this budget for improving the financial position and business prospects of railways, for which I had strived,” he said.
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