The Hindu : National : Approval for Railways Appropriation Bill

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Thursday, Aug 30, 2007
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Approval for Railways Appropriation Bill

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Parliament on Wednesday adopted the Appropriation (Railways) No. 3 Bill, 2007 that authorised payment and appropriation of over Rs.270 crore to the government out of the Consolidated Fund of India to meet the supplementary expenditure for the Railways for 2007-08. The Rajya Sabha approved the Bill by a voice vote. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha last week.

Responding to members’ demands for better services, catering, more trains, higher frequency, gauge conversion and electrification of railway lines, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad said the existing rail lines were saturated and there was much congestion on the tracks. To attend to this problem, the Ministry proposed to lay a “third track” for local trains so that the long-distance and goods trains could run undisturbed.

Among several proposals for new connectivity, Mr. Prasad announced a train from Hardwar to Rameswaram and another from Azamgarh to Kolkata. There would be another train named after one of the heroes of the 1857 war of independence.

Earlier, cutting across party lines, members demanded facilities for elderly citizens and physically challenged people at railway stations and platforms.

They also expressed concern at the rising incidents of molestation of women by fellow passengers and sought a dedicated coach in each train for security forces and policemen who could register an FIR on the train to protect passengers from harassment and prevent delay in action.

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