New Delhi, Feb. 22: It just could be "Jai Ho!" yet again for railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s home state of West Bengal in the Rail Budget. With Assembly elections in West Bengal barely a year away and railway minister and Trinamul Congress leader
Mamata Banerjee’s gaze fixed on the chief minister’s chair, she is expected to shower the state with a bouquet of projects when she presents the Rail Budget in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The minister is set to increase the number of trains running under her pet project — Durontos Express trains — with West Bengal set to get more of these trains. Sources disclosed that Ms Banerjee could announce as many as 12 Duronto Express trains in her budget of which five might go to Bengal.
The Duronto Express is a non-stop, point-to-point train running between some of the major cities of the country. Of the nine Durontos introduced so far during Ms Banerjee’s tenure as rail minister, West Bengal already has at least three — one each between Howrah and Bengaluru, Sealdah and New Delhi and Howrah and Mumbai.
There are also indications that the Rail Budget could contain an announcement on the use of SIMRAN (Satellite Imaging for Rail Navigation), a train tracking system developed by IIT, Kanpur. This system has been tested as a pilot project on the Rajdhanis and Shatabdis, among other trains, and is learnt to have the backing of the expert committee headed by Mr Sam Pitroda.
There are indications that at least four "world-class" or "model" railway stations could be part of Bengal’s kitty. In the coming budget, Kharagpur railway station could be added to the list to be developed as a world-class station. Not surprising given that even in the last Rail Budget five stations in West Bengal had been identified for development as world-class stations and at least a score for development as "adarsh" stations.
There is also a possibility that Ms Banerjee’s state will see the introduction of a few "Pilgrim Express" trains. Among them could be a train between Katwa in Bengal and Puri in Orissa. Also, to connect north Bengal with the major metros, Ms Banerjee is looking at the possibility of introducing trains linking Siliguri to Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.
A train between Howrah in Bengal and Durg in Chhattisgarh could also be announced and an extra stoppage added to the Guwahati-Bengaluru Express.
In Bengal there could also be extension of Metro lines in Kolkata. Ms Banerjee might announce the extension of Metro tracks from Dum Dum to Barasat, Majerhat to Maidan and Gariahat, Dum Dum to Dakshineshwar and Dum Dum to Barrackpore. It is also possible that the circular railway between Majerhat and Joka will be extended.
Though track-laying is expensive and time-consuming, Ms Banerjee could announce the laying of new railway tracks across Bengal. To boost tourism there is a possibility of a new railway line between Bankura to Mukutmanipur.
Private participation may be sought for track work given that Ms Banerjee recently wooed the private sector to undertake the work of laying tracks.
The Trinamul leader’s home state is also likely to get more goodies in the Rail Budget in the shape of 10 hospitals on vacant railway land. Her ministry had signed an MoU with the Union health ministry last month for setting up hospitals on railway land.
Sources disclosed that the hospitals could come up in Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Malda, Asansol, Kharagpur, Burdwan, Kanchrapara, Barasat, Howrah and Garden Reach. Keeping an eye on the minority vote-bank, a hospital on railway land could also be announced in Furfura Sharif in Jangipara.
Sanjay Basak and Parul Chandra