Railway Budget 2012
Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi presented the Railway Budget in
Parliament on March 14, 2012. Mr Dinesh Trivedi was forced to resign by Mamata Banerjee and Mr Mukul Roy was
appointed as the Railways Minister, who rolled back the hike in fares proposed
originally by Mr Trivedi, except in case of AC 2-tier and AC-1 fares.
The highlights of Railway Budget are:
- Minimum fare and platform tickets to cost Rs 5.
- 50 per cent concession in fare in AC-2, AC-3, Chair Car and Sleeper classes to
patients suffering from ‘Aplastic Anaemia’ and ‘Sickle Cell Anaemia’.
- Extending the facility of travel by Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains to Arjuna
Awardees.
- Travel distance under ‘Izzat Scheme’ to increase from 100 kms to 150 kms.
- SMS on passenger mobile phone in case of e-ticket to be accepted as proof of
valid reservation.
- Introduction of satellite based real time train information system (SIMRAN) to
provide train running information to passengers through SMS, internet, etc.
- On board passenger displays indicating next halt station and expected arrival
time to be introduced.
- Installation of 321 escalators at important stations of which 50 will be
commissioned in 2012-13.
- Introduction of regional cuisine at affordable rates; launching of Book-a-meal
scheme to provide multiple choices of meals through SMS or email.
- Introduction of coin/currency operated ticket vending machines.
- Upgradation of 929 stations as Adarsh Stations, including 84 stations proposed
in 2012-13; 490 stations have been completed so far.
- Specially designed coaches for differently-abled persons to be provided in
each Mail/Express trains.
- Introduction of “Rail Bandhu” on-board magazine on Rajdhani, Shatabdi and
Duronto trains.
- Setting up of AC Executive lounges at important stations.
- 75 new Express trains to be introduced.
- 725 km new lines, 700 km doubling, 800 km gauge conversion and 1,100 km
electrification targeted in 2012-13.
- Rs 6,872 cr provided for new lines, Rs 3,393 cr for doubling, Rs 1,950 cr for
gauge conversation, Rs 828 cr for electrification.
- Highest ever plan outlay of Rs 60,100 cr
- A wagon factory to be set up at Sitapali (Ganjam District of Odisha)
- A rail coach factory with the support of government of Kerala to be set up at
Palakkad; two additional new manufacturing units for coaches to be established
in the Kutch area in Gujarat and at Kolar in Karnataka with active
participation of the State governments.
- Setting up of a factory at Shyamnagar in West Bengal to manufacture next
generation technology propulsion system for use in high power electric
locomotives.
- Creating Missions as recommended by Pitroda Committee to implement the
modernization programme.
- Setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority to be considered.
- Rail-Road Grade Separation Corporation to be set up to eliminate level
crossings.
- Indian Railway Station Development Corporation to be set up to redevelop
stations through PPP mode.
- National High Speed Rail Authority to be set-up.
- Introduction of a ‘Green Train’ to run through the pristine forests of North
Bengal.
- Setting up of 200 remote railway stations as ‘green energy stations’ powered
entirely by solar energy.
- Providing solar lighting system at 1,000 manned level crossing gates.
- 2,500 coaches to be equipped with bio toilets.
- Setting up of 72 MW capacity windmill plants in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
- Setting up of a Railway Safety Authority as a statutory regulatory body as
recommended by Kakodkar Committee.
- Three 'Safety Villages' to be set up at Bengaluru, Kharagpur and Lucknow for
skill development for disaster management.
- Institution of 'Rail Khel Ratna' Award for 10 rail sports-persons every year.
- New coaching terminal at Naihati, the birth place of Rishi Bankim Chandra
Chattopadhyay, commemorating him on 175th Birth Anniversary.
- Project to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh to be taken up in
2012-13.
- Freight loading of 1,025 MT targeted; 55 MT more than 2011-12
- Passenger growth targeted at 5.4 per cent.
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