The budget-on-account presented by the Railways Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge to the Parliament does not propose any increase in the freight or passenger fare of Indian Railways for the fiscal year 2014-15. But at the same time, the Minister was optimistic about increase in rail revenues in comparison to last year. The Minister announced introduction of 18 new premium trains, 38 express trains and 5 new passenger trains during the fiscal year. He characterised the budget as opening an era of rationalization of fares for which a separate committee would be constituted. Among a plethora of new proposals, there is exploring the possibility of increasing speed on some of the lines between 160 – 200 kms per hour; PPP (Private Public Partnership) related to rolling stock manufacturing units, modernisation of railway stations, multifunctional complexes, logistic parks, private freight terminals, freight train operation, liberalised wagon investment scheme sand dedicated freight corridors etc.
The annual rail plan is pegged at Rs.64, 305 crore with budgetary surplus of Rupees 30,223 crore. Revised Plan outlay is 59,359 crore rupees and fund balance at the end of the year 2014 is expected to be 8018 crore rupees.
Dealing with the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the budget proposes five new trains for Jammu and Katra in 2014-15. These will be originating from Bandra, Howrah, Yesvantpur, Kota and Sriganganagar and ending up in Katra. Detailing the achievements of Kashmir Rail Plan, the Mister said that 19 kilometre Banihal –Qazigund link of which 11.2 was the length of the tunnel in Pir Panchal is indeed a marvel of engineering feat. It has reduced the distance from Banihal to Qazigund by half and made it all weather connectivity.
However, the disappointing thing for us in the State is that the budget does not say anything about the two State related project namely Jammu to Poonch via Akhnoor and Baramulla to Kupwara via Hamal. Earlier there were faint indications that the two above mentioned projects would be dropped but hoping against hope people of the State thought good sense might prevail with the Railway Ministry at the last hour. Unfortunately the dream of railway coming either to Poonch or to Kupwara seems to be doomed to disappointment. It will be recalled that in 2009 the Lok Sabha was told that the survey of Baramulla –Kupwara rail link had been completed by the Indian railways team. In fact the then Railways Minister Mukul Roy had announced four new railway links as national projects and these included Jammu – Poonch and Baramulla – Kupwara links as well. We fail to understand why the Railways have dropped the idea of extended rail links to Poonch and Kupwara. We know that these are border districts of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Sometimes back, the Defence Minister Mr. Anthony had declared that his Ministry was seized of the importance of bringing railway connectivity to the border close to international border with China and Pakistan. Moreover both of these two districts are of extraordinary defence and security importance to the entire country and the State.
Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla and Kupwara districts, the four districts of the State are infested with jihadi terrorist groups all controlled and guided from across the border. The youth of the region are mostly unemployed and many of them move to major towns and cities in search of livelihood. But they can become the victims of blame-game by pro-Pak agencies. It is important that avenues of employment should be opened for them. Extending railway line from Baramulla to Kupwara and from Jammu to Poonch would be a big step in eradicating unemployment among the youth of these areas and thus stonewall their hidden plans of allowing themselves to be fallen in the trap of our adversary. We were sanguine that the Railway Ministry is fully informed of these dimensions of the rail link to Poonch and to Kupwara. It is, therefore, very earnestly requested that the Railway Minister reconsiders his decision of putting the two Kashmir related railway projects in cold store.
We are happy to know that Kashmir railways segment in the Ministry Railways has ordered manufacture of special coaches for Kashmir railways keeping in mind the cold weather and snow over the mountains and the valley. Work on critical Udhampur – Banihal rail link is going on in normal way and hopefully when the link is established in a year or two, the life and economy of the people in J&K State will undergo a happy and prosperous change. We are eagerly waiting for that day. But our happiness will be fulsome only when Poonch ad Kupwara links are also approved to be undertaken. We will also repeat that the condition of Jammu railway station, about which we have complained several times, remains as it is. No serious attempt is made by the railways to change the slum and ugly environs of Jammu railway station and make it one of the most attractive railway stations in India. It is a shame that such an over-imposing view of the city from a railway station should be marred by ugliest and filthy environ of the railway station.
Minister for Railways Mallikarjun Kharge had hardly spoken for twenty minutes when the situation in the House developed chaotic owing to parliamentarians giving vent to anger on Telangana issue. However, the Railway Minister, finding that the House was uproarious on a different issue, cut short his presentation, read the last paragraph and placed the budget on the table for members to read it for themselves. While expert comments on the rail budget will come in soon, on the face of it one can say that this is a somewhat normal and non-hurting budget. People would have liked more facilities announced for the passengers especially in premium trains like Rajdhanis and Shatabadis. People would have also liked that the Minister gives more assurances about safety of passengers because the instances of railway crimes are increasing fast and passengers are threatened by robbers not only on and around the stations but even in running trains.
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