Union Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda Presented Rail Budget 2014-15:

Union Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda Presented Rail Budget 2014-15: 

Union Rail Budget 2014-15 was presented by the Union Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda on 8 July 2014. This is the first rail budget presented by any Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister and it is also Gowda’s first rail budget.

 

Union Rail Budget 2014-15: Highlights

Railways to build FOB and escalators, toilets on all stations
• Railways also proposes to set up Food Courts at major stations

• RO drinking water facilities to be installed at stations
• Separate housekeeping wing at 50 major stations
• CCTV to monitor cleanliness activities
• Mechanized laundry will be introduced
• Dedicated freight corridor on Eastern and Western corridors
• Tourist trains to be introduced to link all major places of tourist interests across the country
• 4000 women constables to be recruited to ensure safety of women
• 17000 Railway Protection Force (RPF) constables to provide safety to passengers
• Setting up of Railway University for technical and non-technical study
• Ultrasonic Broken Rail Detection System (UBRD) to detect problem in track
• Proposal to start Bullet trains in Mumbai—Ahmedabad route
• Diamond Quadrilateral project of high speed trains to connect all major metros
• Efforts will be made to increase speed of trains to 160-200km/h on select sectors. The identified sectors are: Delhi-Agra; Delhi-Chandigarh; Delhi-Kanpur; Nagpur-Bilaspur; Mysore-Bengaluru-Chennai; Mumbai-Goa; Mumbai-Ahmedabad; Chennai-Hyderabad and Nagpur-Secunderabad.
• E-ticketing system to be improved. Future e-ticketing to support 7200 tickets per minute & to allow 120000 simultaneous users
• Wi-fi in A1 and A category stations and in select trains. Internet-based platform and unreserved tickets
• Will develop 10 metro stations with state-of-the-art facilities
• Outsourcing at 50 major stations; on board housekeeping to be extended to more trains; launching feedback service through IVRS on the quality
• Hospital Management Information System to integrate all railway health units and hospitals
• Special milk tanker trains to be introduced
• Temperature-controlled storage for fruits and vegetable
• setting up of Railway University for technical and non-technical subjects, tie-up with technical institutions
• Paperless office of Indian railways in 5 years. Digital reservation charts at stations
• Ready-to-eat meals to be introduced in phased manners
• New trains in Rail Budget: 5 Jansadharan, 5 Premium, 6 AC, 27 express trains, 8 passenger, 5 DEMU & 2 MEMU services; 11 train extensions
• Office-on-wheels: Internet and workstation facilities on select trains
• Temperature-controlled storage for fruits and vegetable

Union Budget 2014-15

Highlights of Union Budget 2014-15

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley detailed his budget for 2014-15 today, the first under Prime

Minister Narendra Modi's new government.

Here are the highlights of Budget 2014:

1.    Fiscal deficit for 2014-15 pegged at 4.3% and for next year at 3%

2.    Revenue Deficit seen at 2.9% for FY15

3.     Aim to achieve 7-8 per cent economic growth rate in next 3-4 years: FM

4.    Committed for growth of agriculture at the rate of 4 per cent.

5.    Defence FDI cap raised to 49% from 26% at present

6.    Exemption limit on income tax from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 2.5 lakh.

7.    For senior citizens, the exemption on income has been raised to Rs. 3 lakh per annum.

8.    Tax-free cap on home loan interest from Rs. 1.5 to Rs. 2 lakh.

9.    No change in Income tax rates and slabs .

10.  Annual PPF ceiling to be enhanced to Rs 1.5 lakh, from Rs 1 lakh

11.  Women Safety:

i. Outlay of Rs. 50 crores for a pilot scheme on road safety

ii. Another 150 crores to be spent by MHA on safety on women in larger cities

iii.  'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana' - 100 crores

12.  Rs 3600 cr set aside for National Rural Drinking Water: FM

13.  Rural housing: Rs 8000 crore for national housing banking programme

14.  Metro rails in PPP mode; Rs. 100 cr set aside for metro scheme in Ahmadabad and Lucknow

15.  Each year government will be adding AIIMS to ensure there is an AIIMS in every state: Jaitley

16.  Rs 100 crores to set up virtual classrooms

17.  Rs 500 crores for setting up 5 more IIMs and IITs

18.  FM Proposes to enhance the scope of income tax settlement commission

19.  Rs 7,060 crore allocated for building new cities

20.  Jaitley announces e-visas to promote tourism

21.  The government is committed to the welfare of scheduled castes and tribes.

22.  Rs 200 crores credit scheme for start-ups by those from scheduled castes and tribes

23.  Government is committed to providing 24x7 electricity in all houses

24.  15 Braille press to come up.

25.  Currency note with Braille-like signs

26.  Promote FDI selectively in sectors. India needs a boost in job creation in the manufacturing sector

27.  24x7 electricity in all houses

28.  Minimum pension of Rs.1000 per month to all PP schemes.

29.  Rs 50,548 cr proposed for SC development

30.  Bharat Swach Yojna proposed for hygiene and cleanliness.

31.  Rs. 200 crore for Statue of Unity, a statue of Sardar Patel in Gujarat.

32.  Rs. 1000 cr for irrigation plan named Pradhan mantri krishi sichayin yojana.

33.  Skill India initiative to make youth employable and create more entrepreneurs.

34.  Kisan Vikas Patra to be expanded.

35.  e-visa for nine cities.

36.  Rs. 7060 cr for creating smart cities.

37.  Assam and Jharkhand to get Centre of Excellence on farming

38.  Rs. 100 crores for modernization of Madrasas

39.  Jaitley announces Skill India, a programme to train youth for jobs

40.  Equity in PSU banks to be raised through share sale to the public

41.  Rural housing: Rs 8000 crores for national housing banking programme

42.  MGNREGA programme to made more productive

43.   Senior Citizens Pension Plan Extended Till August 2015

44.  National Adaption Fund for climate change to be set up

45.  Rs. 500 crore for price stabilization fund.

46.  100 soil testing laboratories across the country.

47.  House resumes. Budget Speech continues.

48.  Agriculture University in AP and Rajasthan, and Horticulture University in Haryana, Telangana; Rs. 200 cr set aside

49.  An AIIMS will be created in every state.

50.  All six new AIIMS are functional. Four more AIIMS under consideration. 12 more medical  colleges will be added. Rs. 500 crore allocated for this.

51.  MGNREGA programme will be made more productive

52.  Crisis Management Center for women at Delhi

53.  Start up village at Rs 100 crore to promote entrepreneurship among rural youth.

54.  Rs. 14,389 crores for PM Sadak Yojana

55.  Rs 200 crore allocated to set up six textiles clusters