Major trade and industry bodies in Bangalore on Tuesday welcomed the Railway Budget 2014–15 for its focus on passenger-centric measures, emphasis on improving safety, and the backdrop in which it came, but expressed disappointment at there not being enough for them.
“It is on right track and holistic in its approach,” Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry president S. Sampathraman said, lauding Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda’s announcements pertaining to more passenger amenities and better safety, besides the emphasis on timely completion of projects and financial discipline.
“The budget seeks course correction in the light of mismanagement, apathy, populism in starting projects and leaving them incomplete, and severe fund crunch that have inflicted the Railways over the years,” he said. Structural reforms need to be introduced and the resource mobilisation mooted through public sector undertaking surplus, foreign direct investment (FDI) and public-private partnership (PPP) were welcome. “Interestingly, Mr. Gowda has not proposed FDI in operations,” he said.
Sanctioning of many speed trains and introduction of new trains, as demanded by the State, was a bonanza, he added. Even while being more passenger-centric on suburban and metropolitan rail services, the budget, by setting a target of moving one billion tonne, had not lost sight of goods transport, Mr. Sampathraman said.
Commending the Minister for announcing sweeping changes in passenger amenities and safety measures, Bangalore Chambers of Industry and Commerce president A.N. Chandramouli said the proposal for 11 new trains in Karnataka, including DEMU and MEMU services, were welcome.
‘Operational, practical’
“Overall, the Budget looks more operational and practical given the kind of very low elbow space in term of shrinking revenues,” he said, while expressing disappointment over no mention about the establishment of a freight corridor announced by the previous UPA government. The chamber, he said, was also disappointed at no timeline being set for the PPP on private wagons to be operated.
(The Railway Budget for 2013–14 had said the “land acquisition for the eastern and western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) is almost complete. Preliminary engineering-cum-traffic studies have been taken up on four future DFCs.” On Tuesday, Mr. Gowda said: “Project implementation of eastern and western DFCs, a critical infrastructure, will be closely monitored.”)
Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association president Chidananda M. Rajamane welcomed the decision to set up a DFC and the vision to make the Indian Railways the largest freight carrier.
He said that Mr. Gowda could have considered announcing some concessions specific to small and medium enterprises. Though the budget provides for 58 new trains, it had belied the expectations of direct high-speed trains from Bangalore to Chennai, Mysore and Mangalore, apart from improving rail connectivity from Hubli to Mumbai, and Bangalore, he said.
