Union Budget 2023-24: Record Rs 2.4 lakh crore for Railways

Tribune News Service

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, February 1

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday allocated Rs 2.40 lakh crore for the Railways for 2023-24. The outlay is Rs 1 lakh crore more than the Rs 1.40 lakh crore allocated to the Railways last fiscal. “This is about nine times the outlay made in 2013-14,” she said, comparing it with the year when the Congress-led UPA was in power.

With increased passenger traffic, the Railways to refurbish more than 1,000 coaches of premier trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Humsafar and Tejas. The interiors of these coaches will be improved with a modern look and for enhanced passenger comfort

She said 100 critical transport infrastructure projects for last- and first-mile connectivity for coal, fertiliser and food grain sectors have been identified and will be taken up on a priority basis with investment of Rs 75,000 crore, including Rs 15,000 crore from private sources, she said.

This year, the thrust will be on increasing the number of Vande Bharat trains, introducing hydrogen-powered trains, laying new tracks and completing the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told mediapersons that Vande Bharat Express would remain one of their major areas of focus. Besides the Perambur Integral Coach Factory, the Vande Bharat Express would now also be rolled out from three more factories in Sonepat (Haryana), Latur (Maharashtra) and Raebareli (UP).

“Now we are manufacturing one train every seven days. Our target is to roll out two to three trains every week,” Vaishnaw said.

The minister said a new version of the Vande Bharat Express called “Vande Metro” would be launched for suburban passengers. “The design of the train is being given a final shape, the production will start thereafter.”

The maximum speed limit of Vande Metro would be around 120 km – less than Vande Bharat Express that can clock an hourly maximum speed of 180 km. Vande Metro would, however, have better acceleration than the Vande Bharat Express. It would be a world-class shuttle train, the minister said.

New projects for FY 2023-24 would also include the indigenously built hydrogen trains (which use hydrogen as fuel), Vaishnaw said. These trains will be introduced in heritage circuits, with the first such train to run between Kalka and Shimla from December.

Vaishnaw also said double lines would be laid over 2,800 km, gauge conversion would be carried out over 150 km and new lines over 600 km would be constructed. Other big-ticket item on the agenda of the Railways was upgradation of railway stations. As many as 1,275 stations, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, would be upgraded.

With increased passenger expectations, the railways is planning to refurbish more than 1,000 coaches of premier trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Humsafar and Tejas. The interiors of these coaches will be improved with a modern look and for enhanced passenger comfort.

With high speed Vande Bharat trains set to hit the tracks, the allocation for track renewal has been increased from Rs 15,388.05 crore in RE 2022-23 to Rs 17,296.84 crore this year.

Vande Metro for suburban areas

• The Railways will soon launch Vande Metro, a new version of Vande Bharat Express, for suburban areas
• Its maximum speed limit will be 120 kmph, less than Vande Bharat’s 180 kmph

Rs 1,900 cr for buying EVMs

Nearly Rs 1,900 crore allocated to Union Law Ministry to buy electronic voting machines (EVMs) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The provision is meant for providing funds to the Election Commission for poll material.

5 MT of green hydrogen by 2030

The government is targeting 5 MT of green hydrogen production by 2030. The Budget provides for Rs 35,000 crore for priority capital investment towards energy transition and net zero objectives. The government will support setting up of battery energy storage of 4,000 MwH. Green credit programme will be also notified. PTI

Rs 15,000 cr for Vulnerable Tribals

A scheme to improve the socio-economic condition of particularly vulnerable primitive tribal groups to be launched. An amount of Rs 15,000 crore will be made available to implement the PM Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups development mission in next three years under the development action plan for Scheduled Tribes. PTI

500 ‘waste to wealth’ plants

At least 500 new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan (Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme will be set up. These will include 200 compressed biogas plants, including 75 plants in urban areas, and 300 community or cluster-based plants at total investment of Rs 10,000 crore. PTI

LEADER SPEAK

Betrayal of hopes

Callous Budget that has betrayed hopes of vast majority of people. No taxes cut, except for a small number of those who have opted for the new tax regime

— P Chidambaram, Former Finance Minister

Anti-people, opportunistic

It’s not futuristic, totally opportunistic, anti-people and anti-poor. It will not help address the country’s unemployment issue. It has been prepared with an eye on 2024 elections

— Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister, West Bengal

Lays solid foundation

Giving boost to education, skill development and job creation, the Budget lays a solid foundation for transforming India into a technology-driven, knowledge-based economy

— Dharmendra Pradhan, Education Minister

It is mere talk

For them, it is just talk. Only huge promises made. It is better if the Budget is more for the country than for the party... India’s vast. Its 130 crore poor are yearning for ‘Amrit Kaal’.

— Mayawati, Bahujan Samaj Party Chief

States left powerless

The Union Budget is anti-people and contractionary States cannot raise resources beyond GST. We are also not allowed to borrow under the new conditionalities. The Centre is forcing the states to come to it with a begging bowl. It’s a very unfortunate scenario.

— Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) General Secretary

QUICK NOTES

Govt to bring national data governance policy

The government will bring a national data governance policy, which will simplify the KYC process while anonymising individual data. Three centres of excellence for artificial intelligence will be set up in top educational institutions. The government will also create Urban Infrastructure Development Fund on the lines of Rural Infrastructure Development Fund to be managed by National Housing Bank. To enhance ease of doing business, more than 39,000 compliances have been reduced. PTI

Rs 2,200-cr for Aatmanirbhar clean plant plan

The government will launch a Rs 2,200-crore Aatmanirbhar clean plant programme. An agriculture accelerator fund will also be set up to encourage agri-startups in rural areas. To enhance yield of extra-long staple cotton, the government will adopt a cluster-based and value-chain approach. The government will also support Hyderabad-based millet institute as a centre of excellence. PTI

Hike in outlay for Swachh Bharat Mission

In a major boost to the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), the Centre announced a 150 per cent hike in its outlay with an allocation of Rs 5,000 crore. However, there has been a 9 per cent decrease, with an allocation of Rs 2,132 crore, for the construction of non-residential office buildings, including the Central Vista project, Parliament and Supreme Court, as compared to the revised estimates of Rs 2,344.08 crore in the last fiscal. PTI

From manhole to machine hole mode

States and cities will be encouraged to take up urban planning. All cities and towns will be enabled for 100 per cent transition of sewers and septic tanks from manhole to machine hole mode. Cities will also be encouraged to increase creditworthiness for municipal bonds. PTI

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