Dissatisfied with railway budget, says Shiv Sena

Mumbai, Feb 26 (IANS) The Shiv Sena Thursday targeted the BJP-led NDA government, which it is part of, with a sharp criticism of the railway budget for 2015-16, saying it "completely ignored the aspirations and expectations of the people of Maharashtra".

"We are totally dissatisfied with the railway budget. They have said so many things in the budget, but where will the funds come from?" wondered Mumbai North-West MP Gajanan Kirtikar wondered.

He noted out that Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is an ex-Shiv Sena member, has spoken about raising the height of platforms which require Rs.97 crore and money has to be allotted to complete it at one shot.

"They speak about tripling and doubling railway lines, but which lines will be undertaken for this? They have have kept us in the dark," he fumed.

Sena MP from Aurangabad Chandrakant Khaire said almost sarcastically that the budget is "good, but difficult to comprehend".

"The people are going to demand what have they got in the budget for their region. We have to read it and then give an explanation," he said.

The Sena's unhappiness over the budget is in continuation of its stand against the ruling ally BJP, both at the central and Maharashtra level, on various major issues.

The latest bone of contention is the Land Acquisition Bill over which the Shiv Sena has decided to launch a state-wide awareness campaign among the farmers to inform them of the ramifications of the proposed new law.

On the railway budget, the Sena has targeted the BJP for another sore point - Prabhu was with the Shiv Sena and joined the BJP last November during the first cabinet expansion by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

When Prabhu was with the Sena, he had been a part of the first NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and handled several key portfolios.