New Delhi, March 16 The ruling NDA members on Monday praised the government for the "significant" investment in expanding and developing railway infrastructure, while the opposition MPs called for greater attention to basic issues of passenger comfort rather than "showpieces".
Participating in a debate on the demand for grants for the Ministry of Railways, BJP MP Vishnu Dayal Ram said the railway network is undergoing a major modernisation process.
Earlier, he claimed, there was less investment in the development of railway infrastructure, but now "significant" investments are being made.
"There has been unprecedented development in the railways, which will soon become a leading network in the world," the BJP MP said.
Mallesh Babu of the JD-S, an NDA constituent, said under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, a "golden age" has been ushered in for the railways, with massive investments to improve its infrastructure.
Supporting the demand for grants, the MP from Karnataka said there has been a historical transformation in the railways in the last decade.
Shobhanaben Baraiya of the BJP claimed that there have been record investments for the development of railways to ensure the safety of the trains and comfort for the passengers.
She also said that the railway network has undergone massive expansion, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Kutch to Kamakhya.
The Gujarat MP also said that the Modi government has given special attention to the development of the railway network in the Northeast.
Sasikanth Senthil of the Congress, however, said the government should concentrate more on improving the basic issues concerning the railways rather than giving attention to the "showpieces".
The Tamil Nadu lawmaker also claimed that many trains were cancelled during the Covid pandemic, and urged the government to restore them.
Adoor Prakash of the Congress claimed that the CAG has highlighted more than 1 lakh complaints about the non-availability of water in trains.
The government should give attention to such issues more, he said, adding that passenger comfort "continues to be neglected".
Prakash also sought a train service from Thiruvananthapuram to Varanasi.
Dharmendra Yadav of the Samajwadi Party claimed the people of Uttar Pradesh are frustrated with the Union Budget, as fund allocation to the state has decreased over the years.
Except for Varanasi, which is the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there has been no development in the other parts of Uttar Pradesh, he claimed.
Amra Ram of the CPI-M said the railway network should be developed in the same way road networks are being developed in the country.
More stress should be given to improving the rail infrastructure, he said.