COMMENTARY
INTERVIEWS
SPECIALS
CHAT
ARCHIVES

Rail Budget to focus on modernisation

One of the main objectives of the Railway Budget for 1998-99, to be presented to the Lok Sabha on May 29 by Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, will be to develop the railways in the backward areas and modernise the network to transport more passengers and freight.

Later the same day, Minister of State for Railways Ram Naik will lay the Railway Budget papers on the table of the Rajya Sabha, it was officially announced today.

Parliament has approved an interim budget for the railway ministry up to July. Replying to the debate on the interim budget, Nitish Kumar had assured Parliament that he would endeavour to increase the annual plan size so that more projects and schemes could be taken up.

On the opening day of the Budget session of Parliament on May 27, the railway minister will lay a status paper on the functioning of the railways on the table of the Lok Sabha. Naik will present the paper in the Rajya Sabha.

UNI