Railway Budget 2011-12: Plans & Schemes

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee presented the Railway Budget 2011 in the Lok Sabha on 25 February 2011. The budget highlighted the Vision 2020 that provides a definite roadmap, both short-term and long-term, for the future. The following plans and schemes were mentioned in the budget to achieve the goals with careful planning:

•    The budget proposed an additional amount of Rs 10,000 cr tobe raised through tax free bonds for financing select capacity enhancement works.
•    Rs 5406 cr and Rs 2470 cr was given for doubling and gauge conversion projects to complete 867 km and 1017 km respectively.
•    The ministry of Railways proposed to provide small shelter through Sukhi Griha Scheme. The scheme was proposed to be taken up on pilot basis to provide 10,000 dwelling units at Mumbai, Sealdah, Siliguri, Tiruchirapalli and other places.
•    The budget proposed a new scheme, Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana under which not only will the pending socially desirable lines be completed but other similar new line projects would also be taken up will be taken up as well.
•    A non-lapsable Fund for railway projects in the northeast region was created boost the progress of projects.
•    The budget proposed to take up construction of the following new lines in a few areas such as-
                   i. Wadsa-Gadchirholi in Maharashtra
                  ii. Bhadutola-Jhargram via Lalgarh in West Bengal
                  iii. Gudur-Durgrajpuram in Andhra Pradesh
                  iv. Hansdiha-Godda in Jharkhand
•    The budget announced the launch of pre-feasibility study for the western leg (Delhi-Mumbai) of the Golden Rail Corridor in early 2012. The study is being undertaken with help from Japan, with the objective of raising speed of passenger trains to 160-200 kmph.