July 31, 2024
Bapi Haldar’s speech in Lok Sabha on the budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Railways for 2024-25
Firstly, I convey my thanks and gratitude to you, Chairperson Madam for giving me the opportunity to speak on the Railway Budget, 2024-25. I believe the day they had stopped presenting a separate Railway Budget in this august house, that day onwards the dignity of the railway budget has been compromised and there has been an attempt to downplay the importance of the Railways. In the past, the way the Railways budget was being presented, it upheld the glorious dignified stature of Indian Railways. It has carved an epochal niche for itself before the world. But I believe today that stature has been decimated. Anyway, on the 23rd July, the hon. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget where she deprived the people of West Bengal. We have seen this time again. This time we neither have seen any mention on the upgradation and modernization of the projects nor were we granted any new trains or rail lines. Thus, there has been an attempt to push West Bengal to the brink of darkness. I strongly oppose this budget. We noticed that the grants were mostly allocated to the allies to safeguard the interest of the Government in power. This is starkly evident in the Railway Budget. The entire sum of the Railway Budget is Rs. 2,62,200 crore, of which Andhra Pradesh has been allocated Rs.9,151 crore. We have nothing to object on this. Certainly, all the States expect to get funds allocated to them, and the people of West Bengal hoped for the same. But this Budget has failed to show any roadmaps or direction in this regard. Our leader the present Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, during her tenure as the Railway Minister, had worked tirelessly to provide connectivity to all the States including West Bengal and to all the nooks and corners of the country. To address the plight of the common man, she ensured railway connectivity to remote areas. Today we saw how the measures have been taken to empower the railway system only in selective areas and the other States have remained deprived. Mamata Banerjee, during her tenure had announced many new projects, new trains. She had introduced “Ijjat Ticket” for the common man. It hugely benefited the common man. Except of a handful of announcements, we have not heard of any new trains and projects from this budget. We have not seen any particular mention on passenger security. In recent years, security in the Railway has been heavily compromised. In the past two months, there has been three big accidents which claimed the lives of numerous people. Today people are associating railways with doom and death. While availing the service of the railways, people are worrying whether they will be able to reach their homes safely. I request to provide special importance to railway service and security. Though the Government had ensured two crore jobs every year, there are so many vacancies left Madam, I want to say that the past budgets were significant. During the tenure of Mamata Banerjee, she announced many new projects, one of which falls under my Constituency Mathurapur. The notable ones were- Jaynagar to Raidighi new line, Kakdwip to Gangasagar new line, Mandirbazar to Ramganga new line, and Mathurapur to Sealdah line. I want to know the details regarding these projects and why the work has been stalled. Through you I would like to request the hon. Railway Minister to quickly resume the work on these projects and help people avail the service. Thank you.
