Protests over Mamata’s budget hit Orissa rail services
By IANSFriday, February 26, 2010
BHUBANESWAR - Train services were hit in several parts of Orissa as protesters squatted on tracks Friday alleging neglect of the state in the railway budget.
The activists of Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BJD) staged ‘rail roko’ (stop rail) for two hours at several stations in the state.
Hundreds of party activists squatted on rail tracks in the Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Rourkela and Bolangir districts.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee presented the railway budget in parliament Wednesday.
“Year after year the state is being neglected in the railway budget. We strongly protest this,” said Sanjay Das Burma, a BJD legislator.
Rohit Pujari, a BJD leader from of Sambalpur, said: “Only few kilometers of rail tracks have been constructed in the last 16 years. It speaks volumes of the neglect of the state.”
Orissa had demanded about Rs.1,805 crore worth allocations but got only Rs.836 crore in the budget.
