PM, Lalu meet on Rail Budget

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday discussed the Railways' finances with Railway Minister Lalu Prasad ahead of the presentation
of the Railway Budget next week.

The broad contours of the Railway Budget for 2004-05, which will be presented to Parliament on July 6, are understood to have been discussed and finalised during the meeting, according to railway ministry sources.

This follows a meeting Prasad earlier had with Finance Minister P Chidambaram, when he had sought additional budgetary support for the Railways  keeping in view the common minimum programme of the United Progressive Alliance.

Sources said an additional budgetary support of Rs 2,000 crore was believed to have been agreed to for the Railways.

There is a commitment made in the CMP as also the President's address to the joint session to invest more public money in infrastructure sectors like railways, roadways, highways, electricity and telecom.