New Delhi, Feb 26 (ANI): Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday said that for the first time, the state of Arunachal Pradesh has been brought into the rail network and the railways will commission the Harmuti-Naharlagun line this year. Presenting the Railway Budget for 2013-14 in Parliament today, he said that works on the new line railway project to connect state of Manipur are in full swing. The Minister said, the gauge conversion work on Lumding-Silchar and Rangia-Murkongselek is on fast track.
“The national project of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla and other projects of strategic importance will be taken up on top priority,” he added.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Tuesday lauded Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal for a commendable job in meeting competing demands of improving and increasing services for commuters and controlling expenditure of his department, and said it is a reformist and forward looking budget presenting a realistic picture of railway finances.
“The Minister for Railways has done a commendable job in meeting competing demands of improving and increasing services for commuters and controlling expenditure of his department. It is a reformist and forward looking Budget, which presents a realistic picture of Railway finances,” said Dr. Singh in his statement on the Railway Budget. “I compliment him for his innovations in critical areas of Railway infrastructure and paving the way for capacity expansion,” he added. The Railway Budget for 2013-14 presented spared the passengers from any further hike in fares, but raised various other charges on tickets along with freight tariff of less than five percent. Bansal, who presented his maiden Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha, said he does not intend to pass on the impact of deregulation of diesel price for now and the Railways will absorb a burden of Rs 850 crore on account of this.
Pawan Kumar Bansal, who presented his maiden Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha said there would be no hike in passenger fares, as a hike had already been intr duced in January this year. Bansal, however, said that certain charges like supplementary fee, superfast fee, reservation fee, cancellation fee and Tatkal charges will see a marginal hike.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/rail-works-in-manipur-in-full-swing/
