On the eve the Rail Budget, the CPI(M) on Thursday took a jibe at railway minister Mamata Banerjee for "achieving the impossible task of making railways bankrupt" and spending more on advertisements than on executing projects.
"Today's railway minister has achieved the impossible. She has actually made the railways bankrupt, which is an impossible task," CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.
He said the situation has taken "a turn for the worse" with the "railways' operating ratio going beyond 100. The expenditure of railways is more than its income. We will have to see how that is going to be met".
Mr Yechury also castigated Ms Banerjee for the large number of advertisements issued by the railways being published on a regular basis in the dailies and other publications in West Bengal.
"There has been an unprecedented number of advertisements in Bengal papers — 79 advertisements in 81 days. So the railways on Thursday is bankrupt. One of the reasons (for its losses) is also this sort of excessive expenditure," he said.
He criticised the minister for "failing" to implement proposals announced in the last Railway Budget.
"There is nothing on the ground really to write home about in terms of all that was announced in the last budget. Nothing of this has actually taken off the ground. She has only made announcements," he said.
Asked to comment on the Trinamool Congress chief's reported promise that she would release all political prisoners if her party came to power in West Bengal, he said the statement was directly aimed at the Maoists to seek their help for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
"Her reaction is a clear indication that — help us and we will release your people if we come to power," Mr Yechury said.