RAILWAY BUDGET

Railway budget 2011: It's common man's budget, says PM

Friday February 25, 2011 01:16 am PST

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday praised the rail budget presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee as a "common man's budget". "It is a common man's budget with no increase in freight and passenger fares. It will help to weaken the cost crucial element of inflationary expectations," the prime minister told reporters outside parliament. "At the same time, the railway minister has taken good care to increase investment in critical areas of railway infrastructure, thereby sustaining the growth momentum of the economy," he added. Banerjee on Friday presented the rail budget for 2011-12, promising to move to build a stronger railroad infrastructure while addressing the needs of the average passengers.

Wat have u been doing for Naxal effected states, North East India and Other Hill States of india.. they are same like wat they wre some 30 years ago... you congress men have done nothing for these states.. Nothing at all... u are only developing Urban Areas and make Aam Adami's life pathetic by not controlling Inflation.... Ur dearest Mamta has done nothing special to us.. Mr. PM...!! you can make only statements... nothing else Congress party in reality far distant from Aam Aadmi. If the party is keen to help out common man, it is best to raise the standard of living of commion man. Instead of artificially keeping the fares where they are and later extracting more money from the citizens by way of indirect taxation is the worst approach of Congress. I am sick and tired of hearing the term "Aam Aadmi" when India has probably the highest GDP growth and billions of dollars of FII pouring in. Shouldn't our country get out of this "Aam Aadmi" syndrome by rather ensuring that Aam Aadmi (poor people) become more prosperous. Mamata Banerjee is possibly the worst ever Railway Minister our country can have. I am certain it is a pro-West Bengal budget.

Governance at its worst is all I can say. Neither the PM and his team nor the Opposition seem to realise the need for 'public accountability' where policy pronouncements are made / implemented or judicious deployment of the resources mobilised through tax/ nontax revenues, and capital investments / expenditure. The common man is fooled into voting once and thereafter remain a mute spectator to the 'miserable state of governance and public loot' that is currently the order of the day wheter it is the Central or State governments(most of them). Democracy in its current format is not serving the purpose of the common citizen and requires drastic changes that enhance transparency and accountability on the part of every politician in this country.