NEW DELHI
May 23: As expected, Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has been given the railways portfolio. Having got the ministry she had been seeking, Ms Banerjee was quick to make a populist assurance of monthly railway passes at a nominal cost to the poor.
She told reporters that her ministry would consider providing such passes to the unorganised sector, domestic workers, landless labourers, vendors and even students. "One cannot sacrifice the human face for commercial interest," she stated. She also said that her priority would be to provide "economic freedom" to the marginalised sections of society by allowing them to travel by rail. If Ms Banerjee is able to push this proposal through, not only will it help those otherwise unable to afford rail travel but help her party too when it seeks votes in West Bengal during the Assembly elections.
Such a move is certain to go down well with the West Bengal electorate as the Trinamul launches yet another assault to dent the Left bastion in the Assembly polls scheduled for 2011. Although the party is hoping that now that it is an important UPA ally, it will be able to pressurise the Centre into declaring early polls in the state.
Getting the railway portfolio also means that in the run-up to the polls, the Trinamul will be able to provide jobs and job opportunities to people in West Bengal, which again will aid the party in wooing voters to achieve its bigger goal of coming to power in the state.
In yet another indication that for the Trinamul yet another and bigger citadel remains to be conquered, Ms Banerjee also told journalists that her party would monitor the utilisation of Central funds in West Bengal.
Asked whether she was happy about getting the railway ministry, the Trinamul chief said, "I am happy only about our grassroots-level movement and our performance in West Bengal."
Regarding ministerial berths for her party, she indicated that five persons from her party would be getting ministerial slots.
As the TMC chief gears up for her second stint at the ministry, challenges like safety, passenger amenities and overall security of the vast railway network would require her immediate attention.
Then, there are mega projects like the dedicated freight corridor, world class stations, the ambitious J&K rail project and budget hotels which have to be developed keeping in mind the Commonwealth Games lined up in 2010, on which there has been little progress despite big talk by previous railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
No comments:
Post a Comment