Chandigarh February 26:
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday criticised the Union Railway Budget-2011-12 presented by Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for deliberately ignoring the interests of the border State of Punjab and disappointing the people of the State at large.
Launching a frontal attack on Banerjee, Chief Minister Badal described the Budget as totally lopsided and unrealistic, accusing the Railway Minister of unduly favouring her native State. He said that the Union Railway Minister should have realised that she not only represented West Bengal but also the entire country while presenting the Budget.
Badal termed the budget as lacklustre as Punjab did not find any mention in the proposals for major railway projects and allotment of new railway lines. He said that our people felt cheated by this step-motherly treatment and injustice meted out to the State. The sentiments of Punjabis, who have enormous contribution in the process of national development, especially in making country self-reliant in food production, have been hurt.
He said that numerous requests made by the State Government at different forums for installation of new railway lines and other related projects go unheard which shows the complete insensitivity on the part of the Railway Ministry and the unending saga of excesses by the Congress-led UPA Government against this border State.
Chief Minister Badal further said that the railway budget proposals also did not reflected the aspirations of the common man in any way as there were no specific relief measures for the poor people in the promises and commitments made in the budget proposals. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also lashed at the Congress-led UPA Government for totally ignoring Punjab in the Budget presented by Mamata Banerjee in Parliament.
In a statement, he said that Mamata Banerjee while presenting the Budget should have known that she was representing the whole country and not only West Bengal or Rae Bareli. He said that if they go by the proposals of the Budget, it would seem that Punjab does not exist on the map of India, as she had not allocated the single penny, single train or a single kilometre of railway track for the granary of the country.
Lashing at Punjab Congress MPs for their failure to protect the interest of Punjab in the rail budget, Badal said these Congress MPs instead of road-show dramas should have staged the dharna at the Railway Ministry to get new rail links and new rail project sanctioned for Punjab.
He said that Harsimrat Kaur Badal and BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu had written numerous letters to Union Railway Minister for introducing Shatabadi between Bathinda-Mansa-New Delhi, Chandigarh-Amritsar Express train, upgrade of Amritsar- Ludhiana and Bathinda Railway stations, extension of rail freight corridor up to Amritsar allocation of additional bogeys to Punjab to clear the stock of wheat and rice rotting in Punjab godowns.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday criticised the Union Railway Budget-2011-12 presented by Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for deliberately ignoring the interests of the border State of Punjab and disappointing the people of the State at large.
Launching a frontal attack on Banerjee, Chief Minister Badal described the Budget as totally lopsided and unrealistic, accusing the Railway Minister of unduly favouring her native State. He said that the Union Railway Minister should have realised that she not only represented West Bengal but also the entire country while presenting the Budget.
Badal termed the budget as lacklustre as Punjab did not find any mention in the proposals for major railway projects and allotment of new railway lines. He said that our people felt cheated by this step-motherly treatment and injustice meted out to the State. The sentiments of Punjabis, who have enormous contribution in the process of national development, especially in making country self-reliant in food production, have been hurt.
He said that numerous requests made by the State Government at different forums for installation of new railway lines and other related projects go unheard which shows the complete insensitivity on the part of the Railway Ministry and the unending saga of excesses by the Congress-led UPA Government against this border State.
Chief Minister Badal further said that the railway budget proposals also did not reflected the aspirations of the common man in any way as there were no specific relief measures for the poor people in the promises and commitments made in the budget proposals. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also lashed at the Congress-led UPA Government for totally ignoring Punjab in the Budget presented by Mamata Banerjee in Parliament.
In a statement, he said that Mamata Banerjee while presenting the Budget should have known that she was representing the whole country and not only West Bengal or Rae Bareli. He said that if they go by the proposals of the Budget, it would seem that Punjab does not exist on the map of India, as she had not allocated the single penny, single train or a single kilometre of railway track for the granary of the country.
Lashing at Punjab Congress MPs for their failure to protect the interest of Punjab in the rail budget, Badal said these Congress MPs instead of road-show dramas should have staged the dharna at the Railway Ministry to get new rail links and new rail project sanctioned for Punjab.
He said that Harsimrat Kaur Badal and BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu had written numerous letters to Union Railway Minister for introducing Shatabadi between Bathinda-Mansa-New Delhi, Chandigarh-Amritsar Express train, upgrade of Amritsar- Ludhiana and Bathinda Railway stations, extension of rail freight corridor up to Amritsar allocation of additional bogeys to Punjab to clear the stock of wheat and rice rotting in Punjab godowns.
