Lalu makes the Cut - Expect better facilities soon

With an eye on the coming elections in the states and at the Centre, Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad presented the annual budget for 2008-09 tinkering it with populism to please the
aamadmiby reducing fares, promising better hygiene and punctuality, introduction of new routes, better coaches and mobile ticketing from the Indian Railways that carries 15 million passengers daily.

Lalu Prasad who presented his fifth budget on Tuesday reduced passenger fares by as much as seven percent and cut freight rates on petrol and diesel by five percent.

"We have ended the 2007-08 fiscal with a surplus balance of Rs 25,000 crore. Our operating ratio has improved to 76 per cent. We have taken Indian Railways to new heights. We are scoring goal after goal in the match. Every child is saying, ‘Chak De Railways'," Lalu Prasad noted drawing huge applause from the members in the Lok Sabha.

Credited for running more than 11,000 trains every day, of which 7,000 are for passengers, Indian Railways will establish more new routes in the coming months. To this end, Lalu Prasad announced the introduction of new ‘Garib Raths' and 53 other new trains and extension of 16 trains from the next financial year.

A significant freebie that has earned wide admiration is his announcement

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India Inc to Lalu: Pull ahead of populism, fuel growth in Budget

Populism may be the buzzword when Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav presents his budget on Tuesday, but India Inc is asking for some solid steps.

"It is time for Lalu to ponder why despite lower freight charges the railways is losing its share in cargo," said S P Singh, senior fellow, Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training. He suggested that the minister marshal resources to replace the rolling stock to ensure safety of cargo and passengers and also quicker delivery.

The railways earned around Rs 23,000 crore between April 2007 and January 2008 and this may give Yadav enough elbow room for a reduction in fares between three and eight per cent.

However, industrialists are asking for the money to be used in ramping up infrastructure. Ganesh Kumar Gupta, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, wants the railways to complete the freight corridor which would help in reducing delivery time.

Rajeev Jyoti, MD of Bombardier said: "Railways should have its infrastructure like locomotives, wagons in huge numbers so that it is able to meet the demands of a growing economy."

Although Yadav has promised "a basket of comforts for the common passengers", Assocham president Venugopal N. Dhoot wants an EoG (End on Generation) system installed in


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Gambhir's 113 didn't help

A sparkling century from Gautam Gambhir could not save India from an 18-run defeat at the hands of Australia in their tri-series match here on Sunday.

India take on Sri Lanka in their next match in Hobart on Tuesday.

A win would have secured India a berth in the finals, but they were always struggling at the crease after several Australian batsmen returned to form in posting 317 for seven.

India chased bravely and made 299 from 49.1 overs, the highest total ever by side batting second at the SCG, but it wasn't enough with Brett Lee taking 5-58 for the home side.

With Ricky Ponting making 124, Australia, choosing to bat first on a docile wicket, posted the highest score of the series and then made early inroads with the ball.

India were always struggling after star opener Sachin Tendulkar fell in the second over before they slumped to 51 for four.

Gambhir and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni revived Indian hopes by putting on 98 for the fifth wicket, before the latter was caught behind off the bowling of Brett Lee for 36.

Robin Uthappa and Gambhir then kept the score ticking over by putting on 67, but India's hopes suffered a fatal blow when the centurion's brave knock came to an end when he was stumped by Adam Gilchrist, who completed six dismissals, off the bowling of Brad Hogg for 113.

It left India needing 102 more off just 65 balls and although Uthappa bravely kept the chase going with a dashing 51, the required run rate was just too high.

Despite the lack of top order support, Gambhir, batting at number three, notched his second century of the series and fourth overall in fine style, playing some


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India will ask US how it killed spy-sat

India will formally ask the United States to explain the dynamics of its successful satellite killing when space faring nations meet in Moscow on April 15 and 16 for a crucial meeting of the Inter Agency Space Debris Co-ordination Committee.

"They just had a 10-second window for the shot.And the precision with which they did it deserves praise. But we're interested to know how such high levels of accuracy could be attained, given the fact the killer was launched from a ship anchored in the choppy North Pacific," an ISRO source told Express.

Unlike the earlier event when the US brought down a Gama-Ray satellite, this script was not discussed with members of the IADC, including Europe, Russia, China and Israel. "ISRO provided some assistance in tracking the Gama Ray sat. But this time we weren't asked for any help," the source said.

India has given full marks to the US decision as the "kill was made at a low orbit". This reduces the possibility of a large number of particles remaining in orbit and posing a threat to other satellites and future missions. Sources pointed out that a similar Chinese operation, when a satellite was killed at a higher orbit of 850 km using a land-based missile, left more than 2,800 particles.

"The US experiment has left few particles and they too will re-enter and burn up within 48 hours to 40 days," pointed out Dr V Adimoorthy, Assistant Director of VSSC and Indian representative at the

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IN IPL MEGA SALE, DHONI BECOMES CHENNAI'S SUPER KING - CASH & CARRY

India ODI captain MS Dhoni and Australian Andrew Symonds emerged as the most sought after pair in the world of cricket, after they were auctioned for a staggering Rs 6 crore and Rs 5.4 crore in the IPL players auction here on Wednesday.

Dhoni was snapped up by the Chennai franchise owned by India Cements Ltd in the very first round of the sale, while Symonds was won by the Hyderabad franchise owned by the Deccan Chronicle group after a much heated auction which saw all the eight franchises battling for these two prized cricketers.

The auction for the players got underway about half an hour late at the conference room of a five star hotel, filled with Indian sportsmen, filmstars, celebrities and business tycoons, and saw some very high pitch bidding by the franchises.

Icons OF THE GAME These priceless gentlemen will

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XPRESS IN PAKISTAN KING'S PARTY,KINGSIZE DEFEAT

I don't intend to make no dictator strong," said Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan People's Party on a day when Pakistan's principal opposition party won 87 National Assembly seats and looked set to form a government not just in the Centre but had a formidable presence in all four provinces.

At the time of going to press it had not yet won a simple majority but had won a remarkable 78 seats in the Punjab, 65 in its stronghold in Sindh, an unprecedented seven in Balochistan and 17 in the North West Frontier Province, clearly reaping the rewards of a strong sympathy wave in the aftermath of their leader Benazir Bhutto's assassination to whom Zardari paid fulsome tribute.

The PML (Nawaz) won 101 seats in Punjab and the Awami National Party reclaimed the Frontier, cashing in on an unmistakeable backlash against the rule of President Musharraf.

Together the people peacefully turned the tide against the former military ruler with some 22 former ministers from the pro-Musharraf PML-Quaid bearing the brunt of their anger in a vote that was at once anti-war on terror and anti-mullah. The Islamist parties had boycotted the elections but even the Jamiat Ulema Islam of Maulana Fazlur Rehman was restricted to two seats, cut down to the vote share they originally had before it was bumped up for the 2002 elections by the military.

As Pakistan took its first tentative steps in its transition from military rule to a full-fledged democracy, the focus shifted from electioneering to alliances by the major parties. Top PPP officials held their first Central Executive Committee meeting in Islamabad with Zardari saying afterwards that all major conditions laid down by Nawaz Sharif, including the restoration of the judiciary and impeachment of Musharraf, would be addressed by the new parliament. Observers said this was in the light of the overwhelming powers still held by the president whereby he could dismiss elected governments.

With the PPP still short of a simple majority, the role of independents, of whom 25 have been

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