There were mixed reactions to the 2014-15 Railway Budget proposals presented by Railways Minister Sadananda Gowda in Parliament on Tuesday.
Some welcomed it wholeheartedly, while others said that they were partially satisfied. Still others said that the proposals did not measure up fully to their requirements.
A local resident in Chennai said, "Bio-toilets' is a very good idea as the waste doesn't fall on the track.
They said that they will stop providing unhygienic food, which is a very good idea. Women protection thing is also a great idea, as people travel alone. Chennai didn't get many offers like North and East side, but it is not over yet. I hope we will get more offers."
However, another from the same area said, "Till now they have not provided any facility for women. They should provide hygienic food. Ladies often travel with their children, and they should provide facilities so that ladies feel comfortable. We see that police facilities are available but they are not doing anything but if a lady constable is present in the coach, it will be safe for us."
In Kolkata, Dhruv, a resident of Howrah, said, "This budget is not for MPs, but for the public. This budget states that people can now buy their tickets from post offices, which is a great idea. Security of women and senior citizens is a good thing to focus on."
Tarun Mishra from the same area said, "This budget has provided many facilities for senior citizens, women and children. Other facilities like SMS booking and internet-booking will be beneficial for people.
They said that they will introduce nine semi-speed trains. It is okay to increase the fare if they are providing more facilities to people. If FDI is implemented in Railways, it will be a good change."
Harish Chaturvedi, a resident of Lilwa, however, said: "We want more facilities. People are paying Rs.1 to 1.5 per kilometer at this time, and if we compare this to private taxis, it stands for Rs.12-13 per kilometer. In this case, the government cannot offer more facilities. It is ok to increase the fare, but the government should give more facilities to the people. If FDI brings development, there should not be any problem with that."
Mahender Kumar said: "Local trains should be made available for local travelers. Many of passengers in general coach face many problems, many of them have to travel without a seat. I don't think the railways need FDI.
