Railway Budget 2008

Laloo Prasad Yadav presents his last budget today. Like his all other budget, this years budget was also pro poor. Indian Railways had a cash surplus of Rs 25000 crore in FY08 with an operating ratio of 76%.

Sleeper fares were cut by 5% as compared to last year’s reduction of 4%. AC first class saw a cut by 7%, AC- 2Tier class by 4%, AC-3Tier by 2% as against last year's 3%, 2% and 4% respectively.

Check out detailed commentary here on moneycontrol.com

Indian Railways going Wi-Fi

Indian Railways has great plans for the netizons. To keep you connected to the world and your office, IR is planning WI-FI in select trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani. Trains connecting metro cities will be in the plan for first phase.

Just to make it more attractive Railways are planning to make select railway stations wi-fi ready, so that you can work with your laptops while waiting for trains arrivals.
In the first phase more than 50 railway stations will be wi-fi ready.

The Railways would also set up local area network (LAN) to provide Wi-Fi connectivity within stations. The Railways have extensively computerised their operations to deal with administration and ticketing. Work of upgradation of OFC network to high bandwidth STM-16 network is in full swing and has already been commissioned on all important routes. RailTel has also been asked to provide cyber Cafes at 82 stations on Indian Railways out of which cyber cafes at 24 stations have already been commissioned.

Raj Thakare's outburts about north indians and cities woes.

Raj Thakare's statements against north indians which now he claims quoted without context draw lot of flakes from eletronic media and English News papers. But the real issues about this city never got any highlights.

This city is certainly limited by resources as anyother place. Land, air, water the basic needs of humans are limited so does the sewage treatment. The density of population is alarmingly high. Public transport is collapsing. Public health is suffering because of high carbon deposits and lack of oxygen level in the air they breath. But for all this the English media with all their arrogance have only one point to discuss is that constitution has given right to stay anywhere in India.

If one have to travel by local trains of buses during any hours, he will experience the rot city is going through. Chief minister has never bothered about this cities problems so does the central leadership. Elites in this city has secured a quality of life by limiting south mumbai for their needs, you will have flyovers, wide roads, sea links, metros and what not, but suburbs are never in their plans.

This situation itself is pathetic, the arguments placed by so called activists are rather emotional and lack sincerity. Politician do play to the audience but what about these people who claim they are beyond politics but do the same.

Mumbai temperature drops to 9 degree Celsius

This February Mumbai reached a record low temperature of 9 Degree Celsius. Met department says that it was recorded that low after 1962, that means after 40 odd years. Normally Mumbai doesn't feel any chill of winter, and winter ware or woolen garments are rarely required. But this time everybody needed to dig out the sweaters or jackets, retailers doing good business.

Now people say summer will be equally extreme and it will be difficult to stay in Mumbai.