In a statement released today Ms Jayalalithaa said that union railway minister Mamata Banerjee should be complimented for striking a delicate balance between long-term vision and short term requirements, without hiking passenger and freight rates in these hard times, while presenting the Railway budget for 2010-2011.

Her assurance that there would be no privatization of the railways was reassuring while her call for private participation in funding railway projects was realistic, Ms Jayalalithaa said.

Ms Jayalalithaa said that the railway minister had done her best to bring the Railways down to the common man in the villages. The slew of new trains, larger outlay for improved passenger amenities and the initiative to set up water bottling plants to ensure availability of cheap drinking water during train journeys were bound to be appreciated by the masses, she said.

From Tamil Nadu's point of view, the Railway budget was a mixed bag. The plan to modernize the Integral Coach Factory and to launch a second unit were really welcome. Ms Jayalalithaa expressed happiness that the union railway minister Mamata Banerjee had taken note of the AIADMK's request with regard to doubling of tracks, better outlay for the MRTS in Chennai, electrification and gauge conversion and included them in her budget presentation. However, sanction for a Coastal Railway Line between Chennai and Pudhucherry via Mamallapuram would have been greatly appreciated by the people of Tamil Nadu.

The announcement that aspirants taking the Railway recruitment examinations can do so in regional languages as well would be a great boost to the depressed classes. 

Ms Jayalalithaa said that in a nutshell, Mamata Banerjee's Railway budget 2010 was like the proverbial Curate's egg. Good in parts. Bad in parts.