Day 192

Today’s headline in every newspaper is the railway budget presented yesterday by Mamta Banerjee. As the West Bengal is going to election this year, so there was no passenger fare hike as per expected. And another expectation was the number of new projects and new trains for her home state. I’m not blaming her for this. Actually this is a general pattern for the railway ministers to give huge packages and new projects to their respective home states. It has become an unwritten law. It’s good that new projects give more employment to the people of that place but rest of the country shouldn’t be left out. But there are few good things coming out of this year’s railway budget. Senior citizen’s concession for women is to start from the age of 58 instead of 60 earlier. And men will get 40% concession as compare to 30% earlier in the category of senior citizen. One thing more I like very much in this year’s railway budget. 1.75 Lakh vacancies are to be filled. Children of employees over 50 and unable to work are likely to be appointed by the railway itself. Around 16,000 ex-servicemen are to be hired. This is really appreciable. But I think that Mamta Banerjee has to think about the finances now. There is severe financial crunch in railway’s finances. There is very little left for the future investment. Now the railway has to borrow for any future investment. Time has come now to think about the finances also.