Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Railway Minister of India has submitted a populist budget for the fifth time in his tenure as a minister, making the railways budget 25,000 crores surplus.The most highly eulogied encomium for Lalu has come from none other than his wife Rabridevi who hailed him as the number one Railway Minister.
It is true that Lalu deserves this credit for presenting such a surplus budget .He has announced a number of sops in the budget, allowing free season tickets for girls upto degree course,upto +2 for boys,50 % concession in fare for the senior lady citizens, Aids victims.And above all the biggest bonanza that he offerred was the employment opportunities that he provided to the railway porters and other daily wage labourers promising to absorb them as gangmen and in class IV category.Really it is a boon to them.
Apart from it, 53, new trains have been introduced,the major share gone to Bihar and Tamil Nadu.Of course, some BJP, Trinamul congress leaders, AIADMK Supremo etc have criticised the budget as it lacks vision, with an eye on election, offering nothing to Gujarat, MP, West Bengal etc.
But Lalu with an idea of extending the benefit to all people have also reduced the train fares in AC categories and sleeper coaches, etc.Freight charges have also been moderated.
It is an irony that when a railway minister submit a surplus budget and when the elections are far away in 2009, opposition party leaders are criticising it as a budget with an eye on the election.Will they proceed to complain to the election commission, since Lalu is submitting a populist budget?