Aurangabad: The annual Railway Budget presented on Thursday once again cold shouldered connectivity demands of Aurangabad and the region.

However, it raised hopes in the form of infrastructure development due to possible benefits of proposed tourist circuit trains and development of railway stations at pilgrim places.

Budgetary allocation of Rs 1 crore for new building of Aurangabad Railway station, sanction of Rs 3 crore for construction of road over bridge at Chikalthana, Aurangabad in lieu of level crossing gate and allocation of Rs 170 crore for doubling of track between Mudkhed and Parbhani are some of the major takeaways for the city and the region from the budget.

Aurangabad and Nanded railway stations from Marathwada are among the four tourist-friendly destinations, which will be jointly developed by the ministry of railways and the ministry of tourism.

The train stations at Hyderabad and Tiruptai are two others with a total financial outlay of Rs 2 crore made for the initiative.

As the Indian Railways has also announced partnering with the state governments for operating tourist circuit trains and promotion of tourism through UNESCO world heritage, Aurangabad could benefit as it houses the famous Ajanta and Ellora caves.

While Wi-Fi services are expected to come up 100 railway stations this year and at 400 more stations in the next two years, Aurangabd station could get picked for such facility in days to come.

Speaking with ToI, Rajkumar Somani of Marathwada Railway Pravasi Sena, expressed dismay over railway minister Suresh Prabhu offering nothing substantial to Aurangabad and Marathwada region in this year's Railway Budget.

The annual Rail Budget has neglected key demands of the city and the region as a whole as regards to improving connectivity, facilitating infrastructure development and carrying out electrification. This apathy towards Marathwada is despite umpteen presentations made before the competent authorities as well as the Railways, he said.

Echoing similar views, Nandkumar Ghodele, member of Zonal Railway Users' Consultative Committee, said the commuters from Aurangabad and Marathwada had high hopes from this years budget.

"Even different public representatives had paid heed to demands of commuters and made representations before the Railway Ministry. Barring a few offerings, the budget has given thumbs down to our area," he said.

In the past, railway activists have even gone on hunger strikes to to press for the region's demands, but the railways have refused to budge.

The demands from the Marathwada region, which also includes the Nanded division attached to the Central Railway, were put forth by Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire from Aurangabad.



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