The opposition Congress today flayed the Railway budget 2016-17, for ignoring Puducherry, without any announcement of new railway projects.
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister V Narayanasamy in a release here said the announcement that there would be no hike in passengers' fare was with an eye on the forthcoming polls in four states and Union Territory of Puducherry.
He observed that, in the past, railway budgets were framed and announced on the basis of the requirements for new railway facilities in the states.
The present budget is thus most disappointing and has let down the Union Territory, he added.
The Congress leader said the railway budgets presented last year and this year by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre have sidelined the Union Territory of Puducherry without announcing any new projects.
Although the UPA government had sanctioned Rs 178 crores for Karaikal-Peralam railway connectivity, the Rangasamy-led AINRC government had failed to take advantage of the scheme and consequently the project was dropped, he alleged.
The construction of railway overbridges on Puducherry-Villupuram line had been moving on snail's pace.
Meanwhile, CPI secretary R Viswanathan has also criticised the railway budget as "most disappointing".
In his statement, he said it was indeed mind-boggling that the Chief Minister of Puducherry had not come up with comments on the railway budget even as the Centre had shunned Puducherry in it.
Nothing had been said about the the much-awaited railway connectivity between Chennai to Puducherry on East Coast route.
Viswanathan said the railway budget had inflicted injustice and shattered expectations of the traders, businessmen and the passengers of Puducherry.
