Functioning of Railways draws flak in LS

Functioning of railways over the last five years under the UPA government came under severe criticism from BJP, which alleged fudging of finances to present a wrong picture and demanded that actual condition of the ministry should be made public within 60 days.

Initiating debate on the Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha, BJP leader Ananth Kumar questioned the claims of turnaround in the Railways over the last five years, saying it was being done through "jugglery" and "Gumrah trick (misleading trick)" and likened it to the Satyam case of fudging of accounts.

He attacked the budget 2009-10 presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday, saying its thrust was on non-core activities and lacked national vision as it was focussed on West Bengal.

Sarcastically congratulating Banerjee, Kumar said she had done well by picking holes in her predecessor Lalu Prasad's claims about good condition of the Railways.

The BJP leader said the White Paper on the condition of Railways, as promised by Banerjee, should be brought out within 60 days and tabled in Parliament on the first day of the Winter Session.

"Lalu had been taking credit for turnaround in Railways... (But) like the fodder scam, there may be a scam in the Railways," Kumar said, while noting the questions raised by Banerjee on her predecessor's claims on various aspects, particularly about cash surplus status.