Indian Rail Budget 2016: Highlights

NEW DELHI: Presenting his second budget, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday unveiled pillars of strategy that would reflect the new thought process for the railways. Here are the highlights of the Rail Budget 2016:-



* Budget that reflects the expectations of the entire nation

* Making all-out efforts to translate dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi into reality

* Aiming to achieve operation ratio of 92 percent

* Saving of Rs.8,720 crore from last year's estimates

* Envisaging capital expenditure of Rs.1.21 lakh crore

* 2,800 km of broad gauge track conversion envisaged

* Seven km of broad gauge lines to be commisssioned every day during 2016-17

* Hope to commission 19 km of new broad gauge track every day by 2018-19

* Rs.8.8 lakh crore to be spent on infrastructure in five years

* Rs.40,000 crore expected from the government as nudgetary support

* Budget that reflects the expectations of the entire nation

* Making all-out efforts to translaste dream of Prime minister Narendra Modi into reality

* Aiming tom achieve operation ratio of 92 percent

* Saving of Rs.8,720 crore from last year's estimates

* Envisaging capistal expenditure of Rs.1.21 lakh crore

* Social media being increasingly used to ensure transparency

* Online booking of retiring rooms made possible

* 17,000 additional bio-toilets to be provided by the end of current fiscal

* Finalised bids for two new loco factories under Make in India initiative

* WiFi facilities at 100 more stations this year and 400 stations next year

* 2,800 km of broad gauge track conversion envisaged

* Seven km of broad gauge lines to be commissioned every day during 2016-17

* Hope to commission 19 km of new broad gauge track every day by 2018-19

* Rs.8.8 lakh crore to be spent on infrastructure in five years

* Rs.40,000 crore expected from the government as budgetary support

* Budget that reflects the expectations of the entire nation

* Making all-out efforts to translate dream of Prime minister Narendra Modi into reality

* Aiming tom achieve operation ratio of 92 percent

* Saving of Rs.8,720 crore from last year's estimates

* Envisaging capital expenditure of Rs.1.21 lakh crore

* Local art to be highlighted at railway stations

* Academic facility at Vadodara being upgraded to university level

* Railways to generate 9 crore mandays of employment in 2017-18 and 14 crore mandays in 2018-19

* To increase lower berth quota for senior citizens by 50 percent

* Dedicated freight corridors envisaged for North-South, East-West and East Coast alignments

* Social media being increasingly used to ensure transparency

* Online booking of retiring rooms made possible

* 17,000 additional bio-toilets to be provided by the end of current fiscal

* Finalised bids for two new loco factories under Make in India initiative

* WiFi facilities at 100 more stations this year and 400 stations next year

* 2,800 km of broad gauge track conversion envisaged

* Seven km of broad gauge lines to be commissioned every day during 2016-17

* Hope to commission 19 km of new broad gauge track every day by 2018-19

* Rs.8.8 lakh crore to be spent on infrastructure in five years

* Rs.40,000 crore expected from the government as budgetary support

* Budget that reflects the expectations of the entire nation

* Making all-out efforts to translate dream of Prime minister Narendra Modi into reality

* Aiming tom achieve operation ratio of 92 percent

* Saving of Rs.8,720 crore from last year's estimates

* Envisaging capital expenditure of Rs.1.21 lakh crore

* LIC to fund Rs.1.5 lakh crore over five years on favourable terms

* Two elevated tracks envisaged from Churchgate and CST on Mumbai's suburban railway system

* Specialised teams envisaged in specific areas to improve efficiency

* All-India 24X7 helpline for women

* Fully unreserved trains to be operated on high-density corridors

* Local art to be highlighted at railway stations

* Academic facility at Vadodara being upgraded to university level

* Railways to generate 9 crore mandays of employment in 2017-18 and 14 crore mandays in 2018-19

* To increase lower berth quota for senior citizens by 50 percent

* Dedicated freight corridors envisaged for North-South, East-West and East Coast alignments

* Social media being increasingly used to ensure transparency

* Online booking of retiring rooms made possible

* 17,000 additional bio-toilets to be provided by the end of current fiscal

* Finalised bids for two new loco factories under Make in India initiative

* WiFi facilities at 100 more stations this year and 400 stations next year

* 2,800 km of broad gauge track conversion envisaged

* Seven km of broad gauge lines to be commissioned every day during 2016-17

* Hope to commission 19 km of new broad gauge track every day by 2018-19

* Rs.8.8 lakh crore to be spent on infrastructure in five years

* Rs.40,000 crore expected from the government as budgetary support

* Budget that reflects the expectations of the entire nation

* Making all-out efforts to translate dream of Prime minister Narendra Modi into reality

* Saving of Rs.8,720 crore from last year's estimates

* Envisaging capital expenditure of Rs.1.21 lakh crore

Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann replaces Dharam Vira Gandhi as AAP leader in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: As an expected fallout of the brawl in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Patiala MP Dharam Vira Gandhi -- who had raised his voice against the treatment meted out to now expelled Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan -- was removed as the party's leader in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. In his place, the party appointed stand-up comedian and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann to articulate its views in the lower House. 

This is an unprecedented rise for an entertainer who rode his punchlines through his poll campaign and eventually to Lok Sabha, although the jury may still be out on whether it is a sign of the readiness of the political class to put satire on the same pedestal as serious criticism. 

Even though Gandhi's removal was explained by AAP merely as a "party decision", it is hardly lost on anyone that he has paid the price for siding with rebels. The Patiala MP gave considerable grief to Arvind Kejriwal and his aides when he endorsed the version of Bhushan and Yadav that the dominant faction resorted to strong-arm methods to intimidate dissidents and stifle their protest. That Gandhi had till then kept himself aloof from the ugly factional fight lent credence to the rebels' narrative. 

Party member Ashutosh, while confirming the development, refused to go into the reason why Gandhi had to be dumped. "This is a party decision and we need not explain it," he said. 

Mann, who had defended Kejriwal and his group, was pleased with the development, and he attacked Bhushan and Yadav saying the two leaders were sacked for carrying out anti-party activities. "I have raised maximum questions, participated in maximum debates and raised concerns about various bills in the House. If the party wants to give me more responsibilities, then I am ready to shoulder them," Mann said. 

Mann's rise is significant as a leg-up to entertainers in Indian politics which has seen many actors enter the fray but rarely any rising beyond a point. 

As a stand-up comedian, Mann also joins the league of several such personalities across the world who have literally laughed their way to election wins and upset political calculations. 

From Italy to Iceland and Miyazaki to Minnesota, comedians and entertainers have left a trail of political surprise. Italian comedian Giuseppe Piero 'Beppe' Grillo spent much of his career pillorying political parties until he launched the 'Five Star Movement' which went on to win over 25% votes in the 2013 general elections in Italy. Icelandic standup comic Jon Gnarr fought mayoral elections in the capital Reykjavik as a "fun thing" only to be declared the winner to his and the political establishment's horror. 

In 2007, Japanese comedian Hideo Higashikokubaru decided to run a serious campaign for governor of the Miyazaki Prefecture and won it in an atmosphere of complete dejection among voters with the political class. Most famous of all, however, was the victory of WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Jesse Ventura's win in Minnesota gubernatorial elections in 1998 when he defeated both the Democratic and Republican candidates. 

Mann's rise comparatively is circumstantial but given that he lost no minute in siding with Kejriwal after the quarrel broke out in the party shows that he is equipped, besides a sense of humour, with political smarts. The reward that he has received from the party will encourage him to further burnish his 'loyalist' credentials.

Delhi Election 2015 Results: AAP sweeps Delhi BJP trounced by Kejriwal's blow, Cong fails to open account

New Delhi - AAP's victory in Delhi Assembly elections will definitely catapult the fledgling party into the national center stage with non-Congress parties likely to woo it assiduously to take on the BJP both at the national and the state level. However, AAP’s real strength will be challenged soon in days to come. The BJP, smarting from the defeat, will try its best to wreck the AAP government on every front, which shouldn’t be too difficult given the glorified municipality status of the Delhi government.

The BJP government in Haryana will definitely up the ante and refuse to give water to Delhi on some pretext or the other. Delhi produces practically nothing except services and the notable exceptions of pollution and noise. It is dependent on other states for its supply of water, power, vegetables and just about everything needed in the humdrum of daily life.

Full statehood to Delhi is now certainly not on the cards because doing that under the AAP regime would be suicidal for the BJP. BJP is already being pilloried for committing several blunders, including not holding the Delhi polls while still flush from the Lok Sabha victory, and it is not likely to commit one more by offering a prize that would make the AAP preen with pride.

With the status of a rump government, AAP would find it extremely difficult to deliver on its manifesto. Law and order is a serious issue in Delhi but the AAP government would be practically fighting crime and disorder with its hands tied behind its back. It is not as if the BJP would actively connive with criminals and lumpen elements, but at the same time it will not make life easy for its incipient national arch rival AAP.

Duck for Cong, top guns lose deposits, resignations pour in

New Delhi - On a vertical slide since May 2014, the Congress today hit the rock bottom in the Capital with all its 70 candidates losing the elections. 
Deposit of over 60 contestants was forfeited. Among them were top guns like Congress general secretary (media) Ajay Maken, former Lok Sabha MP from Delhi Mahabal Mishra, ex-education minister of Delhi Kiran Walia and daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee Sharmishtha Mukherjee.
A wave of resignations was triggered by the scale of losses with Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely, who had withdrawn from the contest at the last minute, being the first to send his resignation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Maken, chairman of the Congress campaign committee for Delhi went next followed by PC Chacko, Congress general secretary in charge of Delhi.
The party rushed to insulate the Gandhis from the defeat with Chacko saying, "Three of us were leading the elections, not the Gandhis." In his resignation to Sonia, Chacko said he could not gauge the mood of the people.
The party was also forced to concede its disconnect with voters and said officially, "This loss has registered strongly with us and we will take steps to reconnect with the people." Sonia and Rahul for their part were silent today except when they congratulated AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal for his historic win.
Back in Congress headquarters, anxieties of workers soared and the all-pervasive silence was shattered by Delhi Congress workers who demanded Priyanka Gandhi's installation to save a depleting party. Jagdish Sharma, one protester said, "Party is more important than sycophancy. Priyanka must be brought in."
Privately, some Congress leaders admitted that the Delhi shocker would exert pressurize Rahul to deliver as the leader considering starting May 2014 Lok Sabha loss, the Congress today registered its 12th consecutive defeat.
Congress candidates lost heavily even in Delhi segments where Sonia and Rahul canvassed aggressively such as Badarpur and Kalkaji in South Delhi, Seelampur in North East Delhi, Sultanpur Majra in Northwest Delhi and Chandni Chowk. Worse still - Chandi Chowk went to Congress' ex leader Alka Lamba who won on AAP ticket and Sultanpur Majra, a Congress bastion of 20 years, fell despite Rahul's successful road show here. Sultanpur Majra, Asia's largest resettlement colony, was set up by Rahul's grandmother Indira Gandhi. But that also didn't help.
The Congress vote share in Delhi has now fallen by 14.8 pc since the 2013 polls, coming down from 24.5 pc in 2013 to 15 per cent in Lok Sabha to 9.7 pc today.
Even in this annihilation, only some Congress leaders like Chacko were talking introspection today while the rest were finding solace in BJP's loss. 
"What went so wrong is the question we are asking ourselves. This loss is so humungus that a Congress Working Committee meeting is likely to be called to discuss it. Our failure was our inability to gauge the erosion of our votes," Chacko said, as leaders like Digvijay Singh and Sanjay Jha used the occasion to attack BJP.
While Singh tweeted, "Did RSS not help the BJP this time?" Jha mocked the PM's "Bazaaru 
survey" remarks.
Chacko, however, said it would not help to attack the BJP and the Congress needed to put its own house in order. He was candid enough to admit that the Congress went into Delhi elections without an organisation (all committees were dissolved 10 months ago and not reconstituted); that Lovely's last minute withdrawal from the fray harmed the party and that the candidates could not find booth managers in many segments. Rahul Gandhi is, meanwhile, expected to call a meeting on Delhi results tomorrow.

Bigwigs bite the dust

• Deposit of over 60 contestants was forfeited. Among them were top guns such as Congress general secretary (media) Ajay Maken, former LS MP from Delhi Mahabal Mishra, ex-education minister of Delhi Kiran Walia and daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee Sharmishtha Mukherjee
• As the results poured in, Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely sent his resignation to AICC chief Sonia Gandhi followed by Maken and PC Chacko. The resignation are yet to be accepted by Sonia.

Delhi election results 2015: List of AAP candidates who won by a margin of over 20,000 votes

Celebrations take place outside Aam Aadmi Party office in Patel Nagar

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has not only won an unprecedented landslide victory in the Delhi assembly election, but 45 of their candidates, out of 67 who won, decimated their opponents by a margin of 20,000 votes or more to storm into the 70-seat assembly. 

The following is the list of AAP candidates who won by this margin: 

1. Adarsh Nagar: Pawan Kumar Sharma (AAP): 54026 — Ram Kishan Singhal (BJP): 33285 (Margin: 20741 ) 

2. Ambedkar Nagar: Ajay Dutt (AAP): 66632 — Ashok Kumar (BJP): 24172 ( Margin: 42460) 

3. Babarpur: Gopal Rai (AAP): 75928 — Naresh gaur (BJP): 40440 (Margin: 35488) 

4. Badarpur: Narayan Dutt Sharma (AAP): 94242 — RAMVIR SINGH BIDHURI (BJP):46659 (Margin: 47583) 

5. Badli: Ajesh yadav (AAP): 72795 — Devender Yadav (INC): 37419 (Margin: 35376) 

6. Ballimaran: Imran Hussain (AAP): 57118 — Shayam Lal Morwal (BJP): 23241 (Margin: 33877) 

7. Bawana: Ved Prakash (AAP): 109259 — Gugan Singh (BJP): 59236 (Margin: 50023) 

8. Burari: Sanjeev Jha (AAP): 124724 — Gopal jha (BJP): 56774 (Margin: 67950) 

9. Chhatarpur: Kartar Singh Tanwar (AAP): 67645 — Brahm Singh Tnwar (BJP):45405 (Margin: 22240) 

10. Deoli: Prakash (AAP): 96530- (Arwind Kumar (BJP): 32593 (Margin: 63937) 

11. Dwarka: Adarsh Shastri (AAP): 79729 — Pardyumn Rajput (BJP): 40363 (Margin: 39363) 

12. Gokalpur: Fateh Singh (AAP): 71240 — Ranjeet Singh (BJP): 39272 (Margin: 31968 ) 

13. Harinagar: Jagdeep Singh (AAP): 65814 — Avtar Singh Hit (BJP): 39318 (Margin: 26496) 

14. Janakpuri: Rajesh Rishi (AAP): 71802 — Prof. Jagdish Mukhi (BJP): 46222 (Margin: 25580) 

15. Jangpura: Praveen Kumar (AAP): 43927 — Maninder Singh Dhir (BJP): 23477 (Margin: 20450) 

16. Karawal Nagar: Kapil Mishra (AAP):101865 — Mohan Singh Bisht (BJP): 57434 (Margin: 44431) 

17. Karol Bagh: Vishesh ravi (AAP): 67429 — Yogender Chandoliya (BJP): 34549 (Margin: 32880) 

18. Kirari: Rituraj Govind (AAP): 97727 — Anil Jha (BJP): 52555 (Margin: 45127) 

19. Kondli: Manoj Kumar (AAP): 63185 — Hukam Singh (BJP): 38426 (Margin: 24759) 

20. Madipur: Girish Soni (AAP): 66571 — Raj Kumar (BJP): 37184 (Margin: 29387) 

21. Mangolpuri: Rakhi Birla (AAP): 60534 — Raj Kumar chauhan (BJP): 37835 (Margin: 22699)

22. Matia Mahal: Asim Ahmed Khan (AAP): 47584 — Shoaib Iqbal (INC): 21488 (Margin: 26096) 

23. Matiala: Gulab Singh (AAP): 127665 — Rajesh Gahlot (BJP): 80661 (Margin: 47004) 

24. Mundka: Sukhvir Singh (AAP): 94206 — Azad Singh (BJP): 53380 (Margin: 40826) 

25. Nangloi Jat: Raghuvinder Shokeen (AAP): 83259 — Manoj Kumar Shokeen (BJP): 46235 (Margin: 37024) 

26. Nerela: Sharad Kumar (AAP): 96143 — Neel Daman Khatri (BJP): 55851 (Margin: 40292) 

27. New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal (AAP): 57213 — Nupur Sharma (BJP): 25630 (Margin: 31583) 

28. Okhla: Amanatullah Khan (AAP): 104271 — Braham Singh (BJP): 39739 (Margin: 64523) 

29. Palam: Bhavna Gaur (AAP): 83637 — Dhram Dev Solanki (BJP): 51788 (Margin: 31849) 

30. Patel Nagar: Hazari lal Chauhan (AAP): 68868 — Krishna Tirath (BJP): 34230 (Margin: 34638) 

31. Patparganj: Manish Sisodia (AAP): 75477 — Vinod Kumar Binny (BJP): 46716 (Margin: 28761) 

32. Rajinder Nagar: Vijender Garg Vijay (AAP): 61354 — RP Singh (BJP): 41303 (Margin: 20051)

33. Rithala: Mohinder Goyal (AAP): 93470 — Kulwant Rana (BJP): 64219 (Margin: 29251) 

34. Sadar Bazar: Som Dutt (AAP): 67507 — Parveen Kumar Jain (BJP): 33192 (Margin: 34315) 

35. Sangam Vihar: Dinesh Mohaniya (AAP): 72131 — Shiv Charan lal gupta (BJP): 28143 (Margin: 43988) 

36. Seelampur: Mohd. ishraque (AAP): 57302 — Sanjay Jain (BJP): 29415 (Margin: 27887) 

37. Seemapuri: Rajender Pal Gautam (AAP):79777 — Karamvir (BJP): 30956 (Margin: 48821) 

38. Sultanpur Majra: Sandeep kumar (AAP): 80269 — Parbhu dayal (BJP): 15830 (Margin: 64439) 

39. Timarpur: Pankaj Pushkar (AAP): 64477 — Rajni Abbi (BJP): 43830 (Margin: 20647) 

40. Tri Nagar: Jitender Singh Tomar (AAP): 63012 — Nand Kishore Garg (BJP): 40701 (Margin: 22311) 

41. Trilokpuri: Raju Dhingan (AAP): 74907 — Kiran Vaidya (BJP): 45153 (Margin: 29754) 

42. Tughlakabad: Sahi Ram (AAP): 64311 — Vikram Bidhuri (BJP): 30610 (Margin: 33701) 

43. Uttam Nagar: NAresh Baliyan (AAP): 85881 — Pawan Sharma (BJP): 55462 (Margin: 30419) 

44. Vikaspuri: Mahinder Yadav (AAP) ; 132437 — Sanjay Singh (BJP): 54772 (Margin: 77665) 

45. Wazirpur: Rajesh Gupta (AAP): 61208 — Dr Mahander Nagpal (BJP): 39164 (Margin: 22044) 

15 key promises AAP has made to people of Delhi

1.

Delhi Janlokpal Bill

Resolved to bring Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill on coming to power. Delhi Lokpal will have the power to investigate and prosecute those charged with corruption.

2.

Swaraj Bill

AAP will also bring the Swaraj Bill to devolve powers to the people.Decisions affecting the local community will be taken by citizens and implemented by their secretariat.

3.

Full statehood for Delhi

AAP will push for full statehood for Delhi. This will make bodies like DDA, MCD & Delhi Police accountable to the elected Delhi government.

4.

Electricity bills to be cut by half

AAP will ask CAG to do an audit of discoms, and convinced that they are fattening the costs, AAP will reduce electricity bills by half.

5.

Discom portability

AAP has promised to provide consumers the right to choose between electricity providers.This, they say, will create competition, leading to better services and lower tariffs.

6.

Delhi to be made a solar city

AAP will facilitate a phased shift to i renewable and alternate 5 sources of energy.

7.

Water as a right

AAP will provide universal access to clean drinking water at an affordable price. This, they say, is every citizen's right.

8.

Free water

AAP to give free 'lifeline' water of up to 20 kilolitres (20,000 litres) per month to every household. But once consumption exceeds 20 kilolitres, full amount to be charged. Annual 10% tariff hike will be abolished & hikes will be after due consideration.

9.

Reviving Yamuna

Will ensure 100% collection and treatment of Delhi's sewage through an extensive sewer network and construction of new functional sewage treatment plants.

10.

Public loos

AAP will build 1.5 lakh toilets in slums across the city and 50,000 toilets in public spaces.Of them, 1 lakh toilets will be for women.

11.

New schools

AAP will build 500 new schools with a special focus on secondary and senior secondary schools to ensure that every Delhi child has easy access to quality education.

12.

New colleges

AAP will open 20 new colleges under Delhi administration on the outskirts of the city in partnership with the villages of Delhi.

13.

Regulate fees

AAP to regulate private school fees by publishing the fee structures & accounts online.Capitation fee will be abolished.

14.

E-governance

All govt services & forms to be available online & on cellphone.Data on govt projects, progress, accounts & personnel will be posted online.

15.

Smart Delhi

AAP promised free Wi-Fi in city. It will also install 10,000 CCTVs in DTC buses, bus stands and in crowded places as a deterrent against crime.