The BJP Thursday hailed Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's budget for 2015-16 calling it "reformist" and "revolutionary" while the Congress termed it "disappointing" and asked how the resources for the promised reforms will be raised. The Shiv Sena too was critical.
Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari told reporters: "This is the first time a reformist budget has been brought for railways.
"Latest technology will be used in railways to upgrade it and make it safe. The reforms in railways will also generate more employment and boost the Make in India programme," he said.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar called it a revolutionary budget.
"This is a revolutionary budget. It is people-centric and incorporates the vision of the prime minister to completely revamp the railways.
"The railway minister has come up with some technology-oriented services that would not only ensure transparency but is also user-friendly," Javadekar said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said: "By increasing investment to improve infrastructure and passenger amenities, the budget has pushed the railways back on the right track."
BJP president Amit Shah said the budget had given great importance to passenger convenience and safety.
Without increasing fares, the plan size has been increased to some 52 percent, Shah said, adding that convenience of passengers had been kept in mind.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi said the budget had merely rehashed the UPA's various initiatives.
"Rail budget 2015 is very disappointing. They are only presenting old UPA's initiatives," she said.
The Congress demanded to know how the government would raise the necessary resources.
The Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, said: "The budget is high on promises but does not (say) how the resources will be generated."
The CPI-M said the budget was high on hyperbole but low on content.
"In fact, it has spelt out certain intentions with scarce factual details to translate these ideas into reality," it said in a statement.
The Shiv Sena, a BJP ally, was also critical. Prabhu was a former Shiv Sena leader who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party last year.
"We are completely dissatisfied with the budget. They have said so many things in the budget. But from where will the money come?" Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar said.
Another BJP ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal, said the budget was good but added that there was no announcements for the states.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh praised the budget.
"This is a good job. He (Prabhu) has not announced new schemes and promised that he will focus on executing past measures. If he succeeds in doing so, it will be a huge accomplishment," he told reporters.
Suresh Prabhu's first budget promises nine more high-speed trains, faster speed of existing trains, Wi-Fi at 400 stations, user-friendly ladders to mount upper berths, easier norms for unreserved tickets, 17,000 bio-toilets in trains, better connectivity in the north-east, and cameras for safety of women travellers among other things.
Trinamool Congress' Dinesh Trivedi, a former railway minister, said there was no budget this time, it was just an idea.
"It's like saying I will go to moon. It's an idea, a dream but what is important is how are you going to reach there," he said.
