NEW DELHI: Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday sought to demolish Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's claim to achieving a turnaround in the railways, saying he was "reaping the harvest of the sound foundation laid by the Ministry under Nitish Kumar during the rule of the National Democratic Alliance."

BJP leader M. Venkiah Naidu expressed disappointment. "This budget is for today, not tomorrow. On the face of it, everything appears fine but if you look within, the reality is different.''

Initiating the discussion on the Railway Budget, 2007-08, in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Naidu said the budget proposals ignored the crucial aspects of infrastructure development, safety and security of passengers, gauge conversions, the need for expansion, the aspirations of different regions and passenger amenities including catering, hygiene and punctuality of trains.

Serial blasts

Citing the serial train blasts in Mumbai and the Samjhauta Express, he said the Government was following a policy of "condolence for the dead and compensation for the survivors.''

"Gone were the days when a Minister would resign over such incidents. Now even after being charged, they don't step down,'' he said.

He said the budget had regional imbalances. It did not cater to the aspirations of people in the southern States including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and even Tamil Nadu. The Karnataka Assembly had passed a resolution on the inadequate allocation for the State.

Mr. Naidu said it was understandable that Mr. Prasad did justice to Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh that were lagging for several years, one of the reasons being that Mr. Prasad ruled Bihar for 10 years. "Please do what you want for Bihar but don't ignore other regions.''

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