MUMBAI, 28 February 2008 — Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s innovative schemes unveiled at the 2008-09 railway budget on Tuesday aims to provide a major relief to commuters in Mumbai and neighboring Thane and Raigad districts.
Unveiling the budget proposals Lalu announced plans to speed up the Mumbai Urban Transport Project and upgrade and expand Mumbai suburban railway service. He said MUTP Phase-I would be completed by 2009 and efforts would be made to complete Phase-II during the 11th five-year-plan. The Phase II would involve an investment of Rs.5,0000 million and would be jointly financed by Railways, Maharashtra government and multilateral agencies.
Lalu said that the Railway Ministry had decided to conduct a study for an “elevated fully air-conditioned metro service” between Mumbai Central and Virar stations on the Western Railway. “After ascertaining the financial viability of the project, its implementation will be considered through various alternatives including public-private partnership,” he said.
Lalu said that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the origin point of Central Railway, would be transformed into a “world-class railway station.” The number of automatic ticket vending machines, which has been a success in this commercial capital, would also be increased. Rail tickets can now also be booked through cell phones.
A major announcement this year has been the introduction of a multipurpose card named “Go Mumbai Card” on the suburban section by the end of March. These cards would be sold at railway stations, depots of Greater Mumbai Electricity Supply and Transport and other locations. The railway has neither committed capital investment in implementing the scheme, nor will there be any extra burden on railways or passengers for buying tickets. Only a marginal fee would be payable on buying or recharging the card. The scheme aims to help end long queues at counters.
In Maharashtra, some of the developments include doubling Udhna-Jalgaon segment; automatic signaling between Nagpur and Gondia; special Delhi-Pune trains for Commonwealth Youth Games; special train between Baramati and Delhi; electrification of Pune-Guntakal line; upgrading of Mumbai-Pune terminals and running of new trains.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has welcomed the budget saying it has taken care of the safety, security and basic needs of the commuters.
The Nationalist Congress Party spokesman Madan Bafna said, “The budget ignored Mumbai as not many facilities are made available for suburban commuters.”
Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray, the president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the self-proclaimed protector of Marathi culture, seems to have forgotten his mother tongue, Marathi, because he wrote a letter to Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil in English, protesting against the order that prevents him from holding rallies and press conferences.
