Lalu vs Didi: Railway Ministers, then and now

New Delhi: If the previous Railway Minister Lalu Prasad made Patliputra or Patna his focus of development, the current Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee may just have some sops ready for her home state of Bengal.

Lalu Prasad gave new projects to Bihar and Mamata Banerjee is likely to follow him in that aspect by looking farther eastwards.

But speaking to mediamen, Mamata Didi categorically denied having any plans to favour one state over the other.

She said, "I am taking charge from Bengal, it doesn't mean that the work will be limited to Bengal."

Instead, she may want to woo the aam aadmi or the common man. "We shall provide a monthly ticket at the cost of Rs 20 for the poor people whose monthly income is 500 rupees," said the Railway Minister as people wonder what's in her kitty regarding the Railway Budget to be presented on Friday.

Mamata Banerjee takes over the Indian Railways after its turnaround story under Lalu that got the world's top business schools to the Rail Bhawan for a lesson from its CEO.

The Railways had posted an impressive profit worth a whopping Rs 90,000 crore without having to hike passenger fares.

Lalu Prasad had even said in the Parliament in flowery verses after presenting the Rail Budget the year before that the Railways' engine will keep trundling on the path of progress even later.

Speaking on the Lalu versus Mamata comparison, senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta said, "He (Lalu) did not interfere in the working of professionals and technocrats. It had much to do with the fact that the economy had grown at a pace faster than ever before. Right now, the economy is in a phase of slowdown. To that extent, Mamata Banerjee will be far more constrained."

The new Railway Minister hasn't done much to favour her home state till date. If the kulhars (earthen cups for serving tea on trains) was Lalu's gift to the aam admi, < Mamata Didi's taste buds were tickled by the Bengali menu of macher jhol that she promptly transferred to the Railways' menu.

Her austerity drive has begun as she has put a stop to Railway officers' international tours and would take a less lavish passage on the Railways, unlike her predecessor.


Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/