Railways are in a financial crisis: BJP

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde on Friday slammed Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for presenting a 'lacklustre, populist budget with an eye on forthcoming elections in West Bengal'.

He said that the railway minister had no vision to get Indian Railways out of the red.

"She has not spelt out how she is going to carry out improvements in the railway services, monitor the timely running of the trains, and offer better passengers facilities," Munde said.

"She has said that she is going to raise Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion) through bonds. This would take the Railways' debt to over Rs 25,000 crore (Rs 250 billion)," Munde charged.

"It is a budget for West Bengal and the rest of India is kangal (destitute)," BJP general secretary Anant Kumar said, criticising the Railway Budget.

"Mamata has presented the Railway Budget 2011-2012

with an eye on West Bengal assembly elections which are only a couple of months away. Out of 50 new trains 20 go to West Bengal. A coach factory would be set in Singur to provide employment to the youth of the state," he added, stating that such favouritism was indulged in with the sole intention of garnering votes from the people of West Bengal.

"The Railway Budget presented by the Mamata is symptomatic of the dismal state of this government. Its larger approach is to do nothing. It has run out of ideas," claimed Anant Kumar.

"The Railways' finances and performance are in a mess. No significant steps have been taken to strengthen the functioning of the railways or to improve rail tracks and the security apparatus," Munde added.

"The Railway Budget is cruel joke on the common man of the country. She keeps on dreaming; dreams that cannot become reality," Munde rued.