Rail Budget: Trivedi stresses on safety, modernization, decongestion of railways


Wednesday, March 14, 2012: Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday began presentation of his maiden Railway Budget in Parliament. At the start of his Rail Budget speech, Trivedi said the budget was aimed at the common man.
The minister said the emphasis of the Rail Budget would be on improving infrastructure.
Safety is my first priority and sole emphasis, Dinesh Trivedi also said while reading out his budget speech. “India Railways has to be be benchmarked with Europe and Japan,” he saiid.
“My focus will be safe safety, safety, safety,” Trivedi told the Lok Sabha, adding this was the decision he took as soon as he assumed charge his ministry last year against the backdrop of a rail accident in Uttar Pradesh last year.
“I wow to target zero deaths,” he said in his maiden rail budget speech. “I also propose to set up an independent railway safety authority, as recommended by an expert group headed by the former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar.”
Trivedi said he was not satisfied with the current safety standards. He said a special purpose vehicle would be set up to achieve better safety protocols. Trivedi said unmanned level crossings would be abolished in the next five years.

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