Jhabua, Feb 8: The union rail minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav said even after 60 years of Independence, tribals of the country continue to remain backward. The new rail lines connecting the tribal regions of western Madhya Pradesh will prove to be lifeline for the people of this region, Lalu said while addressing a large gathering here.

Talking about the Right to work, he said under the Rojgar Guarantee scheme, the UPA government has enacted a law and sanctioned funds to all the state governments for giving a compulsory 100 man days work to the tribals and labourers and those will be entitled to work who will have job cards.

Bragging about his performance in the rail ministry, Lalu said that earlier, the India railway was running in huge loss and it was only after he took charge of the rail ministry that things looked up the Indian railway and now has earned a profit of Rs 45,000 crore.

He said the researchers from the foreign countries are astonished for this huge turn-around in the Indian railway and are trying to know as how the railway undergone a metamorphosis from huge loss to huge profit. Lalu said he will look into demands for expansion of the railway made by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and announced to open a sleeper coach factory in Jhabua district.

Lalu informed that this year's rail budget will be announced on February 26 and maintained that there will be no increase in the rail fares in this year's budget. Besides, he also promised announcement of many beneficial schemes in the ensuing rail budget.