Kolkata: Having received a bounty of projects from the railway budget last year, people in West Bengal are waiting expectantly as "Didi", as Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is known here, again gets ready to place her proposals in the Lok Sabha on February 24.
However, Banerjee also faces complaints of unkept promises and allegations of laying foundation stones without waiting for the mandatory clearances.
In the 2009 budget, Banerjee announced a railway coach factory at Kanchrapara, about 45 km from Kolkata, and said her ministry would take over the ailing Burn Standard's wagon manufacturing unit.
In addition, she sanctioned for the state half of the 309 "Adarsh" (ideal) stations, five of the 50 world class stations, four of the 12 non-stop Duranta trains, a dedicated eastern freight corridor from Ludhiana to Kolkata, apart from a 1,000 MW captive power plant.
Since then, Banerjee has announced several projects, including a railway hospital, a stadium and special trains for women.
Multi-directional extensions of the Kolkata Metro, new rail links, and extension and increased frequency of several trains were promised, and quite a few have become a reality.
And though Banerjee has her critics, a leading wagonmaker is prepared to give her more time.
"Some of the projects will take longer to be completed. Things are going in the right direction," says Titagarh Wagons Managing Director Umesh Chowdhary.
"Some directional policies adopted last year like PPP (public private partnership) would help the railways grow. I do hope it will be furthered, and the budget allocation for rolling stock will go up," Chowdhary added.
Another leading wagonmaker hoped his company would receive orders.
"I hope the freight corridor will be completed faster. The government should take a quick decision on placing orders for coaches and wagons," said Ruia group chairman Pawan Kumar Ruia, who owns wagonmakers Jessop.
"Some of our capacities are lying empty. There is a dearth of orders," he said.
Similarly, state-owned Burn Standard had hoped for a new lease of life following Banerjee's announcement that her department would speed up the takeover process of its wagon units.
This hasn't happened, but the Burn Standard Employees Union defended her.
"It is a long-drawn process. People from the railway ministry have surveyed the company's immoveable properties; takeover will still take some time," said Burnpur-based union leader Bamapada Mukherjee.
Banerjee's main political adversary, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), is scathing about her performance.
"Nothing has happened in the railway sector -- no improvement in freight, line capacity and revenue," said Basudeb Acharia, CPI-M member of parliament and former chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on railways.
Referring to the minister laying foundation stones across West Bengal, Acharia said several projects did not have Planning Commission clearance or approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
"She is doing all this looking at the 2011 West Bengal elections," he contended, adding that several projects started by Banerjee during her earlier 18-month tenure at Rail Bhavan are still incomplete.
But Shankari Mondal, a domestic help, is eagerly awaiting the railway budget for the first time in her life. She wants the Izzat scheme, under which the poor can travel up to 100 km for only Rs 25, to cover longer distances.
"I come to work by train every day. This is one good thing didi has done for us. Now if she extends it by a few hundred more kilo metres, then I can visit some religious places."
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