Mamata should work for country, not for WB, say MPs

Seeking expansion of the rail network in their home states, members in the Rajya Sabha, particularly from Bihar, said on Thursday that Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee should work for the entire country and not for West Bengal alone.

Seeking expansion of the rail network in their home states, members in the Rajya Sabha, particularly from Bihar, said on Thursday that Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee should work for the entire country and not for West Bengal alone.

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As the debate on the Railway Budget for 2009-10 ran through the third day, members' demands ranged from setting up train halts in small towns to getting a world class status for stations in their home states.

Former Health Minister and BJP member CP Thakur said there are apprehensions in Bihar that the projects sanctioned by three former Railway Ministers, hailing from the state, would now be moved to West Bengal with Banerjee at the helm of affairs at the Rail Bhawan.

Previous three Railway Ministers - Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan - were from Bihar and a slew of projects were announced during their tenures.

"Some of the projects are in the process of being shifted," Thakur said asking Banerjee to complete the works underway or sanctioned earlier.

Shivanand Tiwari (JD-U) demanded that the white paper promised by the Railway Minister should include review of the functioning of the organisation during Prasad's tenure.

Tiwari's charge of corruption against senior officials during Prasad's term was strongly denied by RJD members, amidst clashes between the two pre-dominant parties from Bihar.