FKCCI gives positive reaction on Railway Budget 2013-14

2
1492

Sri K Shiva Shanmugam, President, FKCCI complimented Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal, Hon’ble Raiway Minister, GoI for prioritizing guarantee of safety and security in his Railway Budget 2013-14 proposals. He also welcomed the proposals on Green Initiatives, improving passenger amenities, third party audit and tie up with food testing laboratories for ensuring food quality, modernizing and upgrading existing infrastructure. Other tariff proposals such as setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority, Fuel Adjustment Component (FAC) linked revision for freight tariff to be implemented from 1st April 2013, abolition of enhanced reservation fee are welcome moves.

 

The President also appreciated the Honourable Minister for not increasing passenger fares.

The President is happy to know that a new coach factory has been proposed at Kolar and resumption of work on new line projects of Chickmagalur-Sakleshpur and Bengaluru–Satyamangalam have been announced. However, Mr. Shanmugam urged the Ministry to ensure immediate implementation and completion of the projects on a time bound manner. Some new lines, express and passenger trains, extensions of lines for Karnataka have been proposed in the Budget but the same too need to be realized at the earliest, the President said.

However, the President lamented that major demands for Karnataka such as, Bangalore-Karwar fast train, atleast Rs. 35,000 crore General Budgetary Support, inter-city semi-high speed trains etc. have not been considered in the present Budget.