New Delhi:
Railway Minister Pawan Bansal began presenting his first Rail Budget with a thank you to his political mentors, some poetry and flat statistics to say that unless the Railways cuts losses and begins to make money, it cannot provide value to customers, ensure safety and play its part in the nation's growth effectively.
His task at hand, he said, was to raise Rs 95,000 crore in the next four years of the 12th five-year plan, which called for setting higher targets for expanding the rail network. "Indian railways must remain financially sustainable. The number of passenger trains has increased from 8000 in2001 to over 12000 in 2012 - yet losses continue to mount. They are estimated to be Rs 24,000 crore in 2012-13," Mr Bansal said, adding that scarcity of resources and a thin spread of funds continued to be a problem.
Having said that, the minister pledged his commitment to passenger safety and promised to "work towards a zero accident situation." A resource crunch could not be an excuse for substandard services, the minister said and promised to improve passenger amenities with a sweetly timed verse in Hindi to emphasise that he was attempting not to make noise but to bring change.
Stressing on safety for women, a matter of public debate in the last few months, Mr Bansal acceded to a demand made even by his wife Madhu Bansal, for a security helpline for women in distress to call.
He also announced plans to improve e-ticketing and allowing train bookings on mobile phones.
His task at hand, he said, was to raise Rs 95,000 crore in the next four years of the 12th five-year plan, which called for setting higher targets for expanding the rail network. "Indian railways must remain financially sustainable. The number of passenger trains has increased from 8000 in2001 to over 12000 in 2012 - yet losses continue to mount. They are estimated to be Rs 24,000 crore in 2012-13," Mr Bansal said, adding that scarcity of resources and a thin spread of funds continued to be a problem.
Having said that, the minister pledged his commitment to passenger safety and promised to "work towards a zero accident situation." A resource crunch could not be an excuse for substandard services, the minister said and promised to improve passenger amenities with a sweetly timed verse in Hindi to emphasise that he was attempting not to make noise but to bring change.
Stressing on safety for women, a matter of public debate in the last few months, Mr Bansal acceded to a demand made even by his wife Madhu Bansal, for a security helpline for women in distress to call.
He also announced plans to improve e-ticketing and allowing train bookings on mobile phones.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
