Lalu Versus Nitish

Lalu Yadav, a famous politician of India and Chief Minister of Bihar for many years

Another Mr. Nitish, also Ex-Railway Minister and Current Chief Minister of Bihar.

Lalu Yadav has transformed the railway department in to a Profitable Unit

While Nitish Kumar changed the state of Bihar so the important question is

WHO IS BETTER?

Railway Ministry

As everybody knows that now the Railway Ministry will be headed by Madam Mamta Banerjee. In previous government the Railway portfolio is with Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav who have completely changed the scenario and become famous all over the world for converting the Railway Department from a Loss Unit to huge Profit making company. Lalu has been invited to World famous institutes for his miracle in Railway Department. The Railway Department currently has a generating big profits which never happens before the tenure of Mr. Lalu. Let see what changes Madam brings now, wills he able to maintain the pace set by previous minister or take it to new heights. It is really a tough job when you sit at great heights, but in previous year the level of comfort in railway travel has certainly gone down and its most popular & premium train like Rajdhani Express & Shatbhadi Express do not have adequate basic facilities. It may be possible that new Railway Minister able to solve these problem while keeping the financial pace of profits. I wish her best of luck.

Indian Railway

Image by Sid Nair via Flickr

In my teenage I listened that Postal Department and Railway Departments are two departments for Government of India which can turn India's luck if these both departments runs into profit it will be huge success and can feed whole Indian economy. Lalu Prasad Yadav turned the Indian Railway in really big profits and he wins the race against all Private Corporate Houses and MNC's in his country. The profits of Indian Railway are moer than the Reliance Industries, the face of Indian Private Sector Companies. He really changed the face of Indian Railway, the first railway minister who reduced the railway fare during his tenure.

Today In his last budget he have made announcement for BULLET TRAIN which will be a great facelift for our country on International scenario.

He (Lalu Prasad Yadav) is really great!

India Today - India's most widely read magazine.

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Lalu may unveil pro-people Railway Budget today

Fuel price cuts to help Lalu's budget

Having managed to keep passengers fares in check for the last five years, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad is expected to announce more sops for train travellers when he presents the interim railway budget in Parliament on Friday.

Prasad, who desisted from carrying out any upward hike in the passenger fares despite increase in global prices of crude oil in the past five years of UPA rule, may this time announce some pro-people schemes ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Though it is a vote-on-account exercise, sources in the ministry said Lalu is keen to share the benefits of the reduction in oil prices with passengers.

Speculation is rife that Lalu might slash passenger fares in certain sector while seeking budgetary grant for April-July period.

Despite the global meltdown, railways have carried 74.55 million tonnes (MT) of freight during January this year which is 2.9 per cent more than the same period last year.

Railways have recorded an annual growth of 14 per cent in overall traffic earnings during the UPA regime.

Besides highlighting Ministry's achievements in the last five years, the interim budget is likely to have proposals for introduction of more trains including Garib Raths.

Garib Rath, which provides AC comfort to passengers belonging to poor sections of society, was introduced by Lalu in 2006-07. Currently, there are 20 Garib Raths and a few more are likely to be announced this time.

As the Railways have already hiked the freight rate of carrying foodgrains, pulses, flours and fertilisers by 8.3 per cent, it is likely that the freight rate will remain unchanged.

While the budget is likely to register a cash surplus before paying dividend at about Rs 25,000 crore, the operating ratio is also expected to be more than last year's 76 per cent.

The implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission for the railway employees is the reason for the higher operating ratio in the current year than the last financial year, said a senior official of the ministry.

Since there are many complaints against the quality of food being served in trains and platforms, railways are planning to revamp the whole catering system.

IRCTC has proposed to change the menu from traditional 'thali' system to combo meal system in trains and for this 150 kitchen cells would be set up across the country.

The emphasis will be on hygiene and quality of the food in the kitchen cell system, said a senior IRCTC official.

Keeping the Mumbai terror attacks in mind, the budget is likely to spell out a series of measures undertaken by railways to strengthen security including filling up of vacant RPF posts and installation of integrated security system at sensitive stations. Tenders will be issued shortly for installing state-of-the-art security equipment at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai in the first phase.

Commissioning of the pre-feasibility study for the bullet train in Pune-Mumbai-Ahmadabad route, awarding the contract for the ground work on the Dedicated Freight Corridor, installation of escalators at 100 stations are likely to find place in the budget.
Aiming at curbing accidents at level crossings, Prasad is likely to announce construction of railway overbridge and underbridge at certain identified places.

The extension of train operation from Rajwansher to Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to find a special mention in the budget.

India Today - India's most widely read magazine.