Bad budget for West Bengal

West Bengal was largely neglected in the Railway Budget 2004-5 with the state managing only one new train. No new projects were announced. The Budget was silent about the proposed new terminal at Chitpur in north Kolkata and the East-West Metro network, two high profile projects.

A Sampark Kranti Express from New Delhi to Kolkata (Sealdah) was the sole new train among the 32 announced. Extension of routes of one train and increased weekly frequency of the New Delhi-Sealdah Rajdhani Express to daily from five days a week were the other sops.

The railway minister however announced surveys for new lines at Bariarpur-Mananpur via Kharagpur- Laxmipur-Barhat, Budge Budge-Pujali, Chowrigacha to Kandi, Balurghat-Hilli and Samsi-Chanchal-Harishchandrapur.

Conversion of narrow to broad gauge would be taken up in Katwa-Ahmedpur. Survey for gauge conversion would be done in Krishnanagar-Nabadwipghat and Katwa-Barddhaman lines as also updated survey for line-doubling on Bandel-Katwa and Krishnanagar-Lalgola routes.

Extension of Circular Railway from Princepghat to Majerhat as well as Dum Dum to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport would be completed in the year at a cost of Rs 229 crore for 5.7km in the south and 3.7km in the north as well as completion of the Kanthi-Digha section of the Tamluk-Digha route and Mahendralalnagar-Amta part of the Howrah-Amta line.

The tourist resort of Digha will gain rail connectivity. Gauge conversion of Bankura-Sonamukhi on the Bankura Damodar River railway line and doubling of the Ahmedpur-Sainthia line will be considered.

City chambers hail Lalu

The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry described the Railway Budget as 'industry-friendly'. However, BCCI president B Gupta said the increase in annual plan outlay of Rs. 14498 crore, or only 8.9 per cent, was disappointing.

Indian Chamber of Commerce welcomed Lalu Prasad Yadav's strategy to increase revenues. However, ICC president Anup Singh felt that modernisation of wagons and railway infrastructure needed more attention.

S K Chakraborty, president of Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry, complimented Lalu Prasad Yadav for not increasing freight and passenger fares.

Bharat Chamber of Commerce said the railway budget for 2004-05 was "populist" as vice-president P K Poddar welcomed the proposals for 32 new trains including one from Kolkata.

Terming the budget as "pragmatic," K B Agarwala, president of Merchants' Chamber of Commerce, said the railway minister should have taken steps to earn more revenue.