Nissan to lay off thousands of workers as sales drop    Trump picks Susan Wiles as White House chief of staff    Three charged in connection with Liam Payne's death    Israel passes law to deport relatives of attackers, including citizens    Monkey mayhem in South Carolina after 43 primates escape research facility    Russian anti-war teenager faces five years in jail after failed appeal    Uproar in Ghana after president unveils his own statue    BD and INS partner to elevate standards of infusion care in MENAT    Qassim emir launches 52 health projects costing a total of SR456 million    Dubai Design Week launches its 10th edition, celebrating creativity and innovation    Fakeeh Care Group reports 9M-2024 net profit of SR195.3 million, up 49% y-o-y driven by solid revenue growth and robust profitability    GASTAT: Passengers of public transport bus and train soar 176% and 33% respectively in 2023    HRT does not impact life expectancy — UK health body    Liam Payne's body to be flown back to the UK    Arab leaders and heads of state congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump    Neymar suffers muscle tear, out for 4-6 weeks    Suspect arrested for banking fraud totaling SR493 million as Nazaha pursues corruption charges    Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



India unveils railway budget, ducks reform
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 26 - 02 - 2011

NEW DELHI: India's railways minister unveiled a populist budget on Friday that froze both passenger and freight fares, disappointing hopes for major reform in a lagging sector key to the country's infrastructure growth.
The railways budget could be a possible barometer of Monday's national budget when the government is expected to unveil a spending program to help it contain voter anger over inflation and graft scandals ahead of important state elections.
Mamata Banerjee, an ally of the ruling Congress party, pushed private sector growth in the network, announcing 85 private-driven initiatives such as new wagon factories, and the streamlining of clearance procedures for such projects.
She also promised $12.68 billion of fresh investment, funded mostly by the government and market borrowing, that would add 1,300 km (800 miles) of track and upgrade equipment.
With an eye on winning elections later this year in the populous state of West Bengal, that would shore up support for a government under fire over a string of corruption scandals, she kept the focus on making the network affordable.
“We have taken a two-point approach,” Banerjee said. “On the one hand by sustainable, efficient and rapidly growing Indian Railways, and on the other, by an acute sense of social responsibility towards the common people of this nation.”
“We have attempted to combine a strong economic focus ... with a human face.”
The creaking railway system in Asia's third-largest economy
has suffered from decades of low investment and unimaginative policies and fallen far behind standards in emerging market peer China.
Banerjee has been criticized for a refusal to tinker with low passenger fares and enthusiasm for flagging off new passenger trains – crowd-pleasing measures that strain the sector's finances and derail freight growth.
Her Trinamool Congress party is now Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's most powerful coalition ally. It hopes to dislodge more than three decades of leftist rule in West Bengal's elections that are due by May.
Singh's government, which has grappled with a series of crises from graft scandals to high inflation, must balance the need for its ally to win the election with overhauling an ageing network most of which was built before independence in 1947.
Amid some tentative reforms, successive governments have ring-fenced the railways ministry as a gift to a coalition ally, for whom the temptation has always been to keep passenger fares low, and set up pet projects in home states.
As a result, the state-run behemoth that employs 1.4 million people and provides them with schools, homes and hospitals, has been slow to change its ways at a time when the government is pushing an overhaul of infrastructure. “It is oriented towards the elections. She has the election of her life ahead and she hopes to win,” said political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan. “But it does not address the larger issues of railway modernisations, and that has not happened under successive railway ministers.”


Clic here to read the story from its source.