BJP and its NDA allies on Tuesday hailed the first Railway Budget as “revolutionary” and “remarkable” that will put the Railways back on track with priorities on safety, hygiene and speed.
Describing the Rail Budget as “remarkable” in many ways, party president and Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it is full of innovative ideas and Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda deserves credit for it.
“I am confident that this Rail Budget will put the Indian Railways back on the fast track of development and expansion,” he said. Singh said the Rail Budget sets safety, hygiene and speed as priority areas for the Indian Railways which is “definitely a positive start”.
Party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi decribed the Rail Budget as a “revolutionary bullet Budget” and said “the journey of Railways has begun on a world-class track”.
Maharashtra BJP president Devendra Fadnavis applauded the Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda for announcing pilgrimage trains to Pandharpur and said the Budget indicates reverence for the God that Maharashtra worships.
Welcoming the Rail Budget, BJP leader and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said, “It is a path breaking budget....After years, we have seen a Rail Budget, which is not populist but economically sound and prudent.”
Seconding his views, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, “This is the first time a Minister has done a brilliant job of balancing. In spite of the circumstances where the Railways is running under loss, he has taken modern and progressive steps to give people what they are expecting, which is good connectivity, good services and more trains,” she added.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa described the Budget as “fiscally responsible and bold” but urged the Centre to spare common man of the ‘previous Government’s policy of fuel price linked fare increases.’
Recognising the financial ‘deep crisis’ faced by Railways, the Budget provides vision for the future, she said welcoming proposals like the Diamond Quadrilateral high speed rail network which she said will be a ‘game changer’ in terms of providing a transport infrastructure backbone for the country.
“However, I request the Prime Minister and the Railway Minister to spare the common people from the burden of further fare increases by not following the previous Government’s policy of fuel price linked fare increases,” she said.
Hailing the Railway Budget, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday described it as “growth oriented” and “passenger friendly”, saying its proposals will propel all round development and prosperity in the country.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also welcomed the Rail Budget, saying it reflects the vision of the Union Government to make the Railways world class. She said the Budget would increase rail facilities in the State. Describing the Narendra Modi Government’s first Rail Budget as realistic, Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy said it tried to do justice to all States.