The Railway budget presented by the Union Minister, Suresh Prabhu, has evoked mixed response in Nagapattinam and Karaikal districts.
The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Nagapattinam has termed the budget as passenger friendly as various schemes were announced for the benefit of women, senior citizens, and differently-abled persons.
However, the people of the district are quite disappointed as the minister has failed to introduce any new trains to Nagapattinam which is not only a district headquarters but is also surrounded by several tourist and pilgrimage centres, including Nagore, Tirunallar, Sikkal, Velankanni, Tirukkadaiyur, and Tarangampadi, said its president, Era.Murugiyan.
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The secretary of the Tamil Nadu Consumer Protection Council in Nagapattinam, G.Aravind Kumar, pointed out that though the budget contained a few passenger-friendly initiatives such as introduction of helpline, bio-toilets, installation of CCTV’s in ladies and select compartments, the funds allocated for the implementation of various ongoing projects were inadequate. Terming it as a people-friendly budget, the president of the Karaikal District Railway User’s Welfare Association, V.R.Dhanaseelane, urged the minister to delegate the powers vested with the Indian Railway Board.
Because of too much of centralisation, even the General Managers could not take any decisions even during emergencies.