BeyondHeadlines News Desk
Welfare Party of India (WPI) strongly criticized the maiden rail budget of Modi government presented by Union Minister Sadananda Gowda. Party General Secretary Dr. S. Q. R. Ilyas said the budget will end in complete surrender of the largest public sector unit of the country into the hands of private players. We are totally disagrees with the notion of the new Rail Minister that PPP and FDI are the only sources for resource mobilisation. “Opening the doors to foreign players and private agencies will finally result in the total changeover of Indian Railways to a private enterprise. Indian Railway has been fulfilling its obligation of social commitment since long though there were setbacks during UPA regime. But the Modi government’s maiden rail budget is in the direction to make it a pure commercial entity” the statement continued.
Dr. Ilyas said the budget lacked vision and direction. Mr. Gowda castigated earlier ministers for the collapse of the Indian Railway, but his speech lacked clear direction as to what concrete measures he would be taking to rectify earlier mistakes. He also kept mum as to what would happen to many of the projects that are half-way or zero-way, initiated by previous governments.
WPI also strongly criticized the proposal to link tariff with market fuel price. With deregulation policy of petroleum prices in force, it is the private oil companies that fix the market price bringing heavy burden on the common men by the intermittent hike. By linking it with rail tariff, the common men’s woes will aggravate. The Party strongly asks the Minister to revoke the proposal.
“The claim of comprehensive national outlook and development by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the rail budget is hollow and shallow as the Railway Minister has completely forgotten the federal character of the country with certain states abundantly awarded with new trains, other states totally isolated and ignored. The charge of political appeasement and isolation cannot be ignored”, said Dr. Ilyas.
