Nitish, too, plans an interim budget

Union Railway minister Nitish Kumar is expected to present a vote-on-account which will contain all proposals like a normal railway Budget in the forthcoming special session of Parliament.

Though the schedule of the session has not yet been finalised, the railway's vote-on-account will precede the vote-on-account to be presented by Union Finance Minister Jaswant Singh.

Government source said Kumar would be presenting the vote-on-account like a normal railway Budget.

"Though there is not much scope for concessions, the minister will certainly use the vote-on-account as a political tool," said sources in the railways ministry.

Since the new budgetary proposals will be effective from April --- the peak time for election campaigning --- there is a certain degree of scepticism if the proposals could reap political dividends.