Railway Budget 2009-10: Outlay raised to Rs40,745 crore; Rs9,170 crore deficit projected

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee today presented a deficit budget, envisaging a total outlay of Rs40,745 crore for 2009-2010, which is more than Rs2,840 crore from the allocation proposed in the interim railway budget.

Presenting the Railway Budget in Parliament, the minister said Rs15,675 crore of the planned outlay will be raised internally while Rs9,170 crore will be raised from the market. The railway ministry plans to issue tax-free bonds to bridge the resource gap, she said.

The railway ministry also sought additional funds to the tune of Rs1,949 crore from the ministry of finance for 11 railway projects spread over Jammu & Kashmir and the North East.

The Railways will spend Rs2,921 crore on new lines against Rs1,100 crore proposed in the interim budget. The budget has also increased provision for gauge conversion by 24 per cent to Rs1,750 crore.

Mamata has more than doubled the allocation for passenger amenities at Rs1,102 crore, against Rs502 crore provided in the interim budget.

She also proposed a 49 per cent increase in staff welfare, allocating Rs335 crore for construction of staff quarters and a 79 per cent increase for staff amenities, by allocating Rs424 crore.

• Highlights:  
  No increase in passenger fare and freight tariff
  Railway network to be expanded to every corner of the country to have inclusive growth
• Plan outlay of Rs40,745 crore proposed for 2009-2010,
• Spending on passenger amenities to increase 119 per cent
• Traffic receipts during 2008-09 increase by 11.4 per cent; freight loading up 5 per cent
• Special trains for perishable farm produce, facilities for transportation of rural craft
• Seven new lines, gauge conversion of 17 lines and doubling of 13 lines to be taken up
• Faster parcel services proposed on three routes
• Tatkal scheme to be made passenger friendly
• Railway tickets to be made available through post offices and 'Mushkil Aasaan' mobile vans
• Concession for press persons increased to 50 per cent
• Monthly ticket of Rs25 for unorganisd sector/poor under 'Izat' scheme
• EMU trains for `only ladies' planned at Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai
• 'Yuva trains' from rural hinterland to metros at concessional fare
  Twelve new point-to-point non-stop (duranto) trains
• Fifty-seven new trains, extension of 27 trains and increase in frequency of 13 trains and air-conditioned double-decker trains proposed
• Fifty stations to be upgraded to world class stations
• Long distance trains to have on-board doctors and infotainment services
• Handicapped and aged persons to have more amenities
• Special trains to ferry perishable agro products and rural handicrafts
• Special fund for the development of North East railway
• Quazigund-Anantnag line to be completed by next month
• Railways to construct 6,560 staff quarters
• Group 'D' employees to get scholarships for girl child
• Railways to come out with while paper on financial status and Vision-2020 document