New Delhi, February 26
Reacting on expected lines, the Opposition today termed the Railway Budget as “illusionary” and “insipid” saying it was “anti-people”.

Revealing their party’s stand on the proposals in the Railway Budget for 2002-03, they said it would not benefit the farmers and the common man.

“It is a beaten track Budget lacking vision and will not help in expanding the Railways, “Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Shivraj Patil commented.

“It is an illusion. Let us see the reality,” Congress MP Renuka Chaudhury said, adding it was to be seen if the rationalisation of freight would help farmers’ produce to reach consumers.

Giving the Congress party’s reaction on the Budget, its spokesman Jaipal Reddy said the minister’s speech showed that the financial condition of the Railways was going from bad to worse.

In the name of rationalisation, the minister did take recourse to freight increase which is expected to release Rs 450 crore in 2002-03, Mr Reddy said, adding that it was a “status-quoist”.

CPM MP Nilotpal Basu described it as the “same hackneyed story” and said the increase in tariff would have an impact on the price of essential commodities.