Kerala expected more from rail budget: Chandy

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Wednesday said the rail budget offered much less than what the state was expecting.

“When the railway minister came here, I prepared a list of priorities and gave it to him. From what we have heard of the budget, this is not what we expected,” Chandy told reporters.

“We expected more new trains but for some reason it has not taken place. We have got one new train and two new MEMU (mainline electrical multiple unit) trains. One train has been extended and the frequency of another has been increased,” added Chandy.

The budget mentioned about a coach and a wagon factory and a high speed rail corridor to connect the north-south tips of the state at a project cost in excess of Rs.1 lakh crore. These are positive things for the state, said Chandy.

Leader of Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan told reporters that the budget completely ignored Kerala.

“The people will show their displeasure to this when they cast their votes at the Piravom by-election (March 18),” said Achuthanandan.

Communist Party of India-Marxist Lok Sabha member T. Sampath said: “There is not a word about the proposed railway medical college and the drinking water bottling plant which was announced in the earlier budgets.”