New Delhi: Describing it as pro-people, Railway Minister Laloo Prasad today (Jul 6, 2004) said his maiden Budget was aimed at making Railways self-sufficient without imposing any additional burden on the common man.

"The Railway Budget is pro-poor, pro-middle class, pro-rich and pro-business class without imposing any tax," he said. Accusing the previous BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led coalition Government of neglecting Railways, he said several measures had been taken in this Budget to generate additional resources to modernise Railways and to increase safety and security of passengers.

Prasad said that Government had laid more emphasis on increasing freight traffic to generate revenue.

Past experience had shown this traffic went to roadways because of increase in rail rates, he said.

Asked how he was going to finance new projects, he said paucity of funds should not hamper modernisation and the ministry was ready to borrow from the market.

He said that Government had decided to directly fill 8,000 vacancies in RPF replacing the old system of recruitment through Commission to meet the immediate need of providing security to passengers.