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Anti-collision device to be ready next month: Laloo
Passengers want more facilities
Railways to carry relief free of cost
24-hour Internet booking
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Railways to raise additional
Rs 650 cr
Protest against Patents Ordinance
Shah Rukh Khan, Rani adjudged best
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Anti-collision device to be ready next month: Laloo
New Delhi, February 26 He said train protection and warning system, to prevent Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) by drivers shall be introduced on 280 km on certain sections of North Central and Southern Railways during 2005-06. The minister said as a result of sustained efforts "consequential" train accidents had come down from 415 in 2001-02 to 325 in 2003-04. He said in the period from April to December last year, the Railways had recorded a 33 per cent improvement in the safety record over the corresponding period in 2003. To enable quick response for both rescue and restoration, medical relief trains have been upgraded for operations at 100kmph, he said. Security: The minister said from July 1,2004, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has been entrusted with responsibilities for better protection of passengers and passenger areas, in addition to railway property, and made responsible for minor offences. "On an average 1,262 train escort parties are being deployed daily to supplement the efforts of the GRP and also supplement security in stations. For taking up the new challenges, recruitment drive to fill up vacancies in the RPF and modernisation programme of the RPF in full swing," Mr Yadav said. Electrification: The minister said 350 route km will be electrified during 2005-06 and expressed confidence of meeting the current year's target of 375 km of electrification. Mr Yadav said electrification during 2005-06 would cover Najibabad-Moradabad, Paravur-Trivandrum, Krishnanagar-Behrampur, Tirupati-Pakala-Katpadi and Talcher-Angul routes. Electrification of Villupuram-Pondicherry is also being taken up with 50 per cent of the cost being borne by the Government of Pondicherry, he said. Besides, the work for electrification of Moradabad-Lucknow- Utretia has also been included in this Budget, Mr Yadav said. As for the suburban transport projects, the minister said Phase-I of Thane-Turbhe-Vashi section in Navi Mumbai has been completed and opened for passenger traffic in November, 2004, and work on the second phase ie Turbhe-Nerul section is in progress. Mr Yadav said gauge conversions of full section between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu has been completed and has been opened for traffic in November, 2004. Among other projects, Mr Yadav said the extension of the Metro Railway in Kolkata from Tollygunge to Garia is expected to be completed by 2007. On gauge conversions for 2004-05, he said seven projects were completed and another seven was likely to be completed by the end of the current fiscal. Modernisation: Mr Yadav said under the modernisation plan for five years till 2010, it had been envisaged to run trains at 150 km per hour on New Delhi-Howrah and New Delhi-Chennai routes. The freight business segment envisages running freight trains at 100kmph on the golden quadrilateral and its diagonals and roll-off-roll-on wagons on identified routes. The total expenditure envisaged for execution of the identified items under modernisation plan is Rs 24,000 crores. The minister said Rail Land Development Authority will develop surplus land adjoining railway stations and goods sheds for constructing warehouses and logistics parks. In 2005-06, efforts will be made to complete the process relating to sanction of an action plan for converting New Delhi Railway Station into a modern world class station, he said.
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Passengers want more facilities
New Delhi, February 26 “I could not buy a ticket. There was no separate queue for reservations and cancellations and despite being tenth in the queue, the counter closed before I could buy a ticket. Even when there were just 20 minutes left for the train to depart, the booking clerk was busy talking. At 2 pm, the clerk closed the counter, saying that there were no more tickets, leaving more than 20 of us stranded,” Ms Gupta, who was going to Chandigarh to visit her ailing mother-in-law, told The Tribune. Showing the copy of her complaint, she said, “I know nothing will come out of it. But rather than not increasing the passenger fare, wouldn’t it have been better if the Rail Budget had promised passengers some better facilities, more security and polite staff. They can keep increasing the time for the Internet booking but things will function the way they always have been,” she says. Pointing towards the coolie, Mohammad Anees, accompanying her, she said, “ask him, even when the train was leaving the TC told me there were several vacant seats. All I had to do was part with some money”. “My father retires as General Manager, North-Eastern Railway. I know the organisation inside out,” she said on her way out of the station. Some like Amrik Singh, a businessman from Ambala Cantt, expressed happiness and relief at no increase in passenger fares, others felt that there was not enough attention on modernisation and security of passengers, especially women. “I do not mind paying if I get facilities and security at the end of the day,” said Kamini Gupta. A senior official at the New Delhi Railway Station admitted facilities provided to people were not adequate. “We need to increase the number of platforms and maintain them also. As many as 100 trains are running in losses,” he adds. Ravindra Gupta, President of the Akhil Bharatiya Railway Khan Pan Licences Association, adds: “There is no relevance of introducing 46 new trains when at least 10 of the Sampark Kranti Express trains, announced last year, have not hit railway track. Fares could have been raised and also the quality of travel, rather than introducing new trains”.
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Railways to carry relief free of cost
New Delhi, February 26 “It is proposed that in notified cases of national calamities and disasters, the transportation of relief material will be carried on priority basis and free of cost,” Mr Laloo Prasad said in the Railway Budget presented today. The Railways will also provide free second-class transportation to persons stranded in such calamities. It has also proposed a concession of 50 per cent on normal tariffs for transporting bodies of the patients who die while undergoing treatment in major government hospitals. The bodies will be carried on a priority basis to the nearest rail-head connecting their home-town. Catering policy
Mr Prasad said milk stalls would be allotted to apex dairy cooperative societies of the Centre or state government as part of the new catering policy. He said these societies would not have to participate in open tender and will be given stalls on the basis of application in all categories of stations. The minister had announced last year the promotion of sale of milk, curd, ‘mattha’ and dairy products. Mr Prasad said sale of other hygienic eatables and beverages in eco-friendly earthen pots will be promoted. In the coming year, ‘clean train station system’ will be implemented in at least one station of each zonal railway. He said a provision for reservation ranging from 25 to 49 per cent has been made in the award of licences to small catering units in different categories of railway stations for various weaker sections. He said beneficiaries of the reservation would include those from the SC, ST, OBC, minorities, war widows, widows of railway employees, freedom fighters and other weaker sections of society. |
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24-hour Internet booking
New Delhi, February 26 Mr Yadav, presenting the Railway Budget, said while booking of rail tickets through the internet was from 8 am to 10 pm, the facility would now be available between 4 am and 11.30 pm. At present waitlisted
passengers did not know their status till the preparation of the chart, which was normally done four hours before the train departure, Mr Yadav pointed out. He said from now on, continuous updating of the waiting list would be done through suitable modifications in the
passenger reservation system so that passengers could finalise their journey plans. The minister announced launch of a pilot scheme for Mumbai suburban
passengers to renew their season tickets on the Internet and have these home delivered on the lines of Internet ticketing on the reserved category. |
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Railways to raise additional
Rs 650 cr
New Delhi, February 26 “We have 4,000 commodities that we have divided into 80 new commodity groups and further classified it into 19 classes from the existing 27. But we have ensured that essential commodities are not affected adversely,” he said. The freight reclassification of iron ore and food grains would not touch iron ore meant for domestic steel plants or food grains meant for public distribution system, poverty alleviation programmes or welfare schemes. |
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Sit-in protest by Akali MPs
New Delhi, February 26 Since morning, SAD MPs in black holding placards were on the stairs leading to the Lok Sabha, protesting against the misuse of official machinery and alleged booth-capturing in the byelection. Akali MPs Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Sukhbir Singh Badal, and Zora Singh Mann, supported by BJP MP Navjot Singh Siddu raised slogans against the Congress-led Amarinder Singh government in the state. The MPs demanded repoll in the Assembly segment and dismissal of the state government. As members came to Parliament to hear the Railway Budget, the Akalis continued with their sit-in protest and did not relent even for Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav. As the Lok Sabha assembled for the day, the Akali MPs were up on their feet, waving a copy of The Tribune, highlighting the violence that marred the poll in the Assembly segment. Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Mr Sukhbir Badal sought the permission of the chair to raise the issue under Point of Order. However, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee refused to grant permission. On this, the Akali MPs walked out of the House.
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Protest against Patents Ordinance
New Delhi, February 26 “The Third Amendment of Ordinance of the Indian Patents Act is destined to spell further damage on the country’s industrial and agricultural economy besides endangering the food security and the health security for the populace, and just to benefit the giant multinational companies and foreign capital,” said the pro-Left trade unions in a joint statement. “This is a law of death,” said environmental activist Vandana Shiva. The DYFI, a youth organisation, and members of the Kisan Sabha and the Affordable Medicines and Treatment Campaign took part in the protest. |
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Shah Rukh Khan, Rani adjudged best Mumbai, February 26 Rani also bagged the best actress in a supporting role for the film ‘Veer Zaara’. ‘Veer Zaara’, the film exploring the theme of love across borders, was adjudged the best film of the year while Kunal Kohli won the best director award for ‘Hum Tum’. Ramesh Sippy’s blockbuster film of 70s ‘Sholay’ was adjudged as best film in 50 years. Veteran poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar created a distinction of sorts by being nominated for five films in the best lyricist category. However, it was his lines ‘Tere Liye’ from the folm ‘Veer Zaara’ that clinched for him the coveted gold trophy. As the ‘Lady in Black’ turned gold today, the occasion was celebrated with singers, actors and celluloid stars taking a trip down memory lane, presenting the best of each decade. Evergreen star Dev Anand won the viewer’s award for being best actor in five decades while Rekha was adjudged the most beautiful and talented actress in the past 50 years through an opinion poll. Saif Ali Khan walked away with the award for best actor in a comic role for ‘Hum Tum’ but the nail-biting finish in the best actor in the supporting role kept the audience spellbound. Abhishek Bachchan beat his superstar father Amitabh in this category to win the award for the role in ‘Yuva’ The modest younger Bachchan, however, handed the trophy over to his father saying “I can never accept the fact that there can be anyone better than Amitabh Bachchan in any role”. The critics award for best actress went to Kareena Kapoor for ‘Dev’ while critics award for best actor was bagged by Pankaj Kapoor for his role in ‘Maqbool’. The Power award was bagged by Shah Rukh Khan. Accepting the awards, Shah Rukh said that to him real power meant the capacity to stand the test of the audience and convince them about one’s hard work. The best music director award was bagged by Anu Malik for ‘Main Hoon Na’ and the best story award went to Aditya Chopra for ‘Veer Zaara’. The best screenplay award went to Mani Ratnam for ‘Yuva’. The highlight of the occasion was when the legendery trio of Dilip Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Naushad (the recepients of the first Filmfare award) were honoured at the golden jubilee celebration by Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
— PTI |
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