Railway Budget turned out to be a big disappointment for Jharkhand

Railway Budget turned out to be a big disappointment for Jharkhand

The Narendra Modi-led government's maiden Railway Budget turned out to be a big disappointment for Jharkhand. The state, which is going to the assembly polls in three months, got less than what it expected, especially after Bharatiya Janata Party's sweeping victory in the Lok Sabha election. 

Railway minister Sadanand Gowda had little in his kitty on Tuesday to offer to the state. After the budget announcements, many passengers at Ranchi railway station, who were glued to the television on the platform, were heard saying the Rail Budget 2014-15 was worse than last year's. Also Read: Highlights of Rail Budget 2014-2015

Gowda announced a weekly express train, from Tatanagar to Baiyyappanahali (Bangalore), and one passenger train from Hatia to Rourkela, besides extending 63208/63211 Jhajha-Patna MEMU to Jasidih in Deoghar. 

Chotanagpur Passengers' Association (CPA) had demanded direct trains to Haridwar, Ahmedabad, Pune, Goa (from Hatia) and Amritsar. Jharkhand Passengers' Association (JPA) had demanded eight new express trains to Surat, Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow and other cities. 

Ashok Nagpal of CPA said Jharkhand is not directly connected with major cities even 14 years after its formation. "Simdega, Gumla and Khunti districts do not exist on the railway map. Trains to South India, where thousands of students go to study, are always packed," said Nagpal. 

It takes four hours to go to Jamshedpur from Ranchi, a distance of 105km. CPA had demanded that the government start Tatanagar-Ranchi via Kandra railway project so that people can reach Jamshedpur in less time. "But there was no mention of it in the budget," he said.

 source:TOI

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