Proposal to name metro station after St Mary elicit objections from BJP, some sections
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's positive response to a proposal to name the upcoming metro station near Shivajinagar here, after St Mary, has elicited objections from some sections, including opposition BJP, which has termed the move as appeasement.
Participating in the inauguration of the annual feast at St Mary's Basilica on September 8, Siddaramaiah said his government would recommend to the Centre on the request made at the function.
The metro station is part of an under construction on the Pink Line in the city.
"A request has been made to name the metro station (after St Mary). I have spoken to Rizwar (Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad), who is from the constituency. If told as to which station should be named, we will send a recommendation to the central government," Siddaramaiah had said.
Accusing the Congress government of "appeasement politics", Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said, the naming of the metro station should not be on religious basis and his party is going to oppose it.
"Will they remove the name Shivajinagar? They should not go beyond the limits for pleasing someone. Appeasement has become the first choice of the Congress party. Because of appeasement, the party has gone to dogs now, still they are doing appeasement politics. It will not work. We will not allow it," the BJP leader told reporters.
Reacting to objections, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said, "We have just discussed it. There is a request (to name after St Mary). There is nothing wrong in the request. We will take a call on that."
There were also demands by some to name the station after late Kannada actor Shankar Nag, who is credited for his vision regarding having a rapid transit system for Bengaluru in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also slammed the Congress government's proposal.
"I condemn the Karnataka government's move to rename Shivajinagar metro station in Bengaluru after St Mary. Its an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Congress has continued its tradition of insulting the Maratha warrior king since the time of Nehru who made comments against Shivaji Maharaj in his book Discovery of India," he told reporters in Mumbai on Thursday.
Fadnavis said he was praying that the Almighty gives Siddaramaiah sense to not go ahead with such a decision that is based on religion and was against the Maratha warrior king.
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Railways: FM Sitharaman allocates Rs 2.77 lakh crore for capital expenditure
New Delhi (PTI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday allocated Rs 2,77,830 crore to the Ministry of Railways for capital expenditure in the financial year 2026–27.
The Budget allocation includes the construction of new lines and the purchase of locomotives, wagons, and coaches, among other works.
The ministry had received Rs 2,52,000 crore in FY 2025–26. The current allocation for the upcoming financial year is 10.25 per cent higher, making it the highest ever. Besides, the ministry will get Rs 15,000 crore from Extra Budgetary Resources, the document showed.
According to the Budget document, the railways’ total earnings are projected at Rs 3,85,733.33 crore, while expenditure is estimated at Rs 3,82,186.01 crore, resulting in a surplus of Rs 3,547.32 crore at the end of the financial year.
"Since the railways' earnings are too meagre to fund asset creation and support new works, it receives funds from the government. Accordingly, the ministry has been allocated Rs 2,77,830 crore to undertake activities such as laying new lines, converting narrow gauge to broad gauge, and constructing double lines on single-line routes," a railway official said.
The Budget document has earmarked funds from the Rs 2,77,830 crore allocation for various construction and asset creation projects. These include Rs 36,721.55 crore for new lines, Rs 4,600 crore for gauge conversion, Rs 37,750 crore for doubling, Rs 52,108.73 crore for rolling stock (locomotives, wagons, etc.), and Rs 7,500 crore for signalling and telecom, among others.
The allocation under the signalling and telecom head is significant as the automatic train protection system, Kavach, falls under this department. The ministry has laid strong emphasis on expanding Kavach coverage across the rail network.
The document also presents the actual earnings and expenditure of the railways in 2024–25. During the year, railways earned Rs 3,35,757.09 crore and spent Rs 3,32,440.64 crore, recording a surplus of Rs 3,316.45 crore. The budgetary allocation for the year stood at Rs 2,51,946.56 crore.
"As far as FY 2025–26 is concerned, the actual figures for earnings and expenditure will be available only after the financial year ends,” an official said, adding that largely earnings and expenses are on expected lines with minor changes.
Out of the total expenditures of the railways, the biggest share goes on paying pensions to its employees.
According to Budget documents, expenditure on pensions was Rs 58844.07 crore in 2024-25, which is expected to rise to Rs 74500 crore in 2026-27.
