Rail Budget reformist, forward-looking: PM

Hailing the Railway Budget as "reformist and forward-looking", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has done a commendable job in meeting competing demands of improving services and controlling expenditure.

Singh complimented Bansal for his "innovations" in critical areas of Railway infrastructure and paving the way for capacity expansion.

"It is a reformist and forward-looking Budget which presents a realistic picture of Railway finances," he said while commenting on the Railway Budget which did not propose any hike in passenger fares even though some supplementary charges were hiked.

"The Minister for Railways has done a commendable job in meeting competing demands of improving and increasing services for commuters and controlling expenditure of his department," Singh said.