Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the Railway budget, to be presented in Parliament on Wednesday, was dedicated to people.
In an informal chat with journalists, Ms. Banerjee said the country belonged to the people, so any budgetary proposal had to benefit them.
“The common people are the assets of the country. They have to be taken care of and developed,” she said, underlining that the effort was to ensure continuity. But she refused to say anything on the budget.
Later in the evening, she called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and took him into confidence about the budgetary proposals. The visit was described as a customary exercise.
Soon after the meeting, Ms. Banerjee held consultations with senior members of the Railway Board, apparently to work out last-minute revisions.
The BJP said it would not disrupt the presentation of the budget, though it was agitating over the price rise.
