A ‘janata’ rail budget with PPP push

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee gave a clear signal of a populist rail Budget, perhaps with one eye on Writer’s Building, the seat of West Bengal government.

The Assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled for next year.

Banerjee told the media during a photo-op that the railway Budget being announced by her on Wednesday, is dedicated to ‘Janata’.
Chugging ahead with her

commitments on the social front, Banerjee exhaled: “The country belongs to people, and the Budget will also belong to people.”
When some overeager penpushers offered their good wishes for the Budget, the minister was tartness personified: “I do not need your congratulations. I want people to realise (her work)...”

Speculation burbled immediately, especially in the context of the Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s recent remarks on her ‘style of functioning’.

Mukherjee, discomfited over her last-minute Budget proposals for 15 West Bengal projects to be vetted by Cabinet, approved them sans any monetary support.

Does that mean heavy PPP dosage to revive the pending Rs 142,000 crore worth railway infrastructure projects?

Quite likely, as Railway Bhavan officials are believed to be drawing policy contours for a number of infrastructure projects.
A major announcement pertaining to development of tracks on PPP model is likely.

The ministry plans to add 25,000 km of new lines in the next ten years.

Of this, at least 10,000 km will be socially desirable lines regardless of their viability in the short run. Today’s Budget is likely to shape policy for rail network growth in private participation.
To boost the private railway container business, the Budget may tweak policy. Railways is likely to provide wagons to logistics players in the railway container business.

However, with the common man’s agenda high on her mind, Banerjee had been burning the midnight oil in the railway ministry over the last week.

“Didi had been staying till 1 am in office over the past one week, overseeing the Budget preparations,” said her close aide.
So what’s in store for didi’s janata, as well as the industry, which is also looking forward to the railway Budget, especially because the ministry laid down its vision 2020 targets in the winter session of Parliament.

With the success of the non-stop Duronto trains introduced by
Banerjee in her last Budget, the ministry is likely to announce more of them.

“A total of around 45 new trains are likely to be introduced. We may also add another twelve to the Duronto fleet,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.

Banerjee announced 14 Durontos last year. Of this, nine have been flagged off.

The remaining will be launched by March this year. Of the total 121 trains announced in last year’s Budget, including extension of existing trains, 92 have been flagged off and the balance will run by March.

It is learnt that in a move aimed at gratifying her minority votebank in Bengal as well as ensuring proximity to the UPA high command in Delhi, Banerjee’s Budget may announce special trains to Ajmer Sharif.

“Special train service to Ajmer Sharif is likely to come up in the Budget,” said an official. Also major announcements for Uttar Pradesh are on the cards. On the passenger amenities front, a complete overhaul of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation is on the anvil.

For Banerjee, the railway budget is also an opportune time to extend goodies to West Bengal. Going forward, the ministry may announce opening of Central Schools on the railway land in West Bengal.

Also, some of the first medical institutes that the railways is planning with the Union health ministry may also come up in the state.