Speech of Mamata Banerjee Introducing the Railway Budget 2011-12 25Th February 2011
Speech of Mamata Banerjee introducing the Railway Budget 2011-12 25th February 2011 1. Madam Speaker, I rise to present before this august House the Revised Estimates for 2010-11 and the estimated receipts and expenditure for 2011-12. I deem it an honour to present the third Railway Budget under the kind guidance of the hon'ble Prime Minister. I profusely thank the Finance Minster for his continued support and encouragement to the railways. 2. As the hon’ble members are aware, the wheels of the railways continue to move 24 hours, all 365 days. Railway’s services are comparable to emergency services, required all the time. I am proud of the 14 lakh members of my railway family, who toil day and night with unparalleled dedication. I am also grateful to all passengers without whose cooperation and consideration, we could not have run this vast system. I have also received unstinted support from our two recognised federations and staff and officers’ associations. 3. Madam, rail transportation is vitally interlinked with the economic development of the country. With the economy slated to grow at a rate of 8-9%, it is imperative that the railways grow at an even faster pace. I see the railways as an artery of this pulsating nation. Our lines touch the lives of humble people in tiny villages, as they touch the lives of those in the bustling metropolises. 4. We are taking a two-pronged approach, scripted on the one hand, by a sustainable, efficient and rapidly growing Indian Railways, and on the other, by an acute sense of social responsibility towards the common people of this nation.
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