Rail Budget 2013: Demand for extension of freight corridors ignored, Badal says

CHANDIGARH: There is much for the people of Punjab to cheer about in the Railway budget even though the industry and political leaders have slammed it, terming it as lackluster. Apart from putting Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo on railway map, the Union railway minister has announced five new express trains for the border belt, Ferozepur, a passenger train between Bathinda and Dhuri and two more between Chandigarh and Amritsar.
Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal announced five new express trains for Ferozepur Railway Division — Ferozepur-Delhi Express (daily), Amritsar-Lal Kuan Express train via Chandigarh (weekly), Bathinda-Jammu Tawi Express via Patiala and Rajpura (weekly), Amritsar-Delhi Intercity Express via Mohali (daily) and Hoshiarpur-Delhi Express train (daily).
Other new passenger trains announced include Bathinda-Dhuri and Tarn Taran-Gowindwal links. Bansal also announced laying of double-track between Bathinda- Ferozepur and Bathinda-Abohar-Sri Ganganagar and electrification of Jakhal-Dhuri-Ludhiana and Bathinda-Suratgarh railway section. However, SAD patron and Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal slammed the railway budget, saying, “The UPA government has cold shouldered the state’s most legitimate demand for extension of freight corridors from Mumbai and Kolkatta to Amritsar.”
Leader of Opposition in Punjab, Sunil Jakhar said, “The Ferozepur–Patti link would shorten Amritsar-Mumbai distance by about 240kms and change the future of Majha and Malwa regions by tremendously increasing business opportunities.”
Clearly unhappy with the announcements, Badish Jindal, president of federation of association of small industries, added,
“The surcharge on freight, as proposed in the Budget, will drive states like Punjab to a very tight corner as such states depend upon railways for raw materials, coal and export dispatches.."
Budget 2013 > Rail Budget 2013 > Economic Survey 2013