The Lok Sabha today passed the Rail Budget 2013-14 amidst an Opposition boycott. It provides for the withdrawal of 63 thousand and 363 crore rupees from the Consolidated Fund of India to achieve the targets announced in the budget.

Replying to the discussion, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal assured the House that all railway projects announced in the Budget will be taken up. For this, ten lakh crore rupees is needed. Every effort will be made to raise the resources by economizing the expenses and through borrowings from institutions like the World Bank. He ruled out any discrimination while allocating funds as the Railways considers the whole country as a single unit.

Defending the slight rise in passenger fares this time, Mr Bansal said they had remained unchanged for the last twelve years. He said every effort has been made to protect the interests of 2 crore 30 lakh rail passengers who travel by trains every day across the country. The Minister said he will do his utmost to provide better amenities to passengers. Their safety will be his prime concern. 

This is why 41 thousand and 112 crore rupees has been allocated on this head. Besides improving the rolling stock, he said, two dedicated freight corridors will be constructed - one from Ludhiana to Dankuni in Howrah, West Bengal and the other from Delhi to Mumbai. 

He announced that all awardees of the Paramveer Chakra and Mahaveer Chakra will now get free AC first class passes to travel in Rajadhani and Shatabdi Express trains. Passes issued to the recipients of gallantry awards will now be valid for three years. All heritage trains including the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway will be preserved.

There were frequent interruptions from the opposition members during the Minister's reply. Alleging partisan politics in the allocations, they said many states have not been given due importance in railway projects announced in the budget. They staged a walk out midway.