The budget plays a very significant role in the economy of a country. India, the largest democracy in the world needs a lot of plans and programs to meet the necessary requirements of more that 110 million citizens. The country follows a very transparent planning to rule the country and to make arrangements of the funds that these planning allow. The people of the country as well as the world look forward to India during the month of February every year as this is the month in which the Government of India decides two of its most important financial decisions, namely- the Rail Budget and the General Budget. These two budgets determine the policies of the Government in the following year as the funds are provided according to these two budgets.

As per the schedule of the Budget Session in the year 2010-2011, the Railway Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee tabled the Railway Budget for the year on 25th February, 2010. Her budget was being expected to be a budget that would make railway journey more comfortable for the common man. As per all the on-going speculation and previews, the Railway Budget turned out to be a budget for the common man. As per the post-budget reviews are concerned, the budget is going to make a mixed response among different political parties. However, the consumers, the railway passengers have welcomed the different provisions that have been made in the Railway Budget’10.

The main points of this Railway Budget this year are as follows:

* The budget makes no increase in the fares for the common passengers. No fare is increased in the rate of goods carriages.
* The Budget shows provisions of 54 new long-distance trains including mails, express, and superfast trains. These new trains are distributed among all the constituent states of the Indian republic.
* There is a provision for introduction of 6 long-distance and 4 mid-distance Duronta express trains.
* The e-ticket charges are lowered by considerable rate.
* The cancer patients are proposed to get total exemption from the conveyance charges on every trip of their treatment.
* All the other socio-economic plans that were continuing from the earlier times are provisioned to continue. This includes free travelling for the students etc.
* The state of West Bengal enjoys some special attractions in the railway budget. The state has been facilitated with a number of superfast trains to different destinations. The local train system in the state is going to see some more Ladies’ Special trains from Barasat and Krisnanagar.
* Many welfare programs are likely to be initiated in the state as well as in the other parts of the country.
* Many hospitals and diagnostic centers are likely to come up on the railway lands scattered in the different places.
* Electrification of many existing routes, increasing the gauge of some other train routes, and expansion of the railway network in the country are some of the other attractions that have been included in the Railway Budget this year.

The Railway Minister has all made considerable focus on the welfare of the lower and underprivileged class of the society. The budget has enough provisions for generating employment opportunities to the technical and non0-technical unemployed people. However, the most important thing about this budget lies in the fact lies in its optimism as many of the provisions that are made in the budget are not yet approve by the Planning Commission of India. However, the Railway Minister is very much optimistic about meeting all the aspirations that are made in it.