Odisha BJP hails Rail Budget

BHUBANESWAR: State unit of the BJP on Thursday hailed the Railway Budget and praised Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for presenting a pro-people budget in the Lok Sabha. 

Party’s State vice president Pratap Sarangi admired the Centre for not hiking passenger fares and announcing several people-friendly facilities in the trains and stations.   

Terming the Rail Budget a brilliant, Sarangi said Prabhu’s maiden budget has given emphasis on modernisation, speed of train, electrification of long routes, addition of general compartments for poor passengers, cleanliness in trains and stations, bio-toilet system, e-booking from trains along with easy booking system, SMS alert to passengers about train timing and surveillance system in bogeys for security of women passengers. 

Sarangi said the NDA Government has allocated over Rs 1664 crore for development of the Railway sector of Odisha which much higher than the allocation of the previous UPA Government. 

BJP leader Rudra Pani criticised the BJD Government for sending its MPs with memorandum only three days before the presentation of the Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha. 

“It’s really funny to see that only nine BJD MPs out of its total strength 27 in the Parliament went to the Railway Minister (three days before the budget) to request him for adequate allocation of fund for Odisha,” said Pani, adding, “It shows that how the BJD is concerned about the welfare of the State.”