.........As was expected Laloo Prasad Yadav, Union Minister for Railways has once again produced a budget which he can truly boast of as a common man's (aam aadmi) budget. There is much in the Railway budget which qualifies it to be called a common man's budget even though it is more a pre-election budget. He has reduced both the fare and the freight besides several other concessions and benefits like modernization, computerization of certain important Railway stations with additional facilities and introduction of several new trains besides accelerating the speed of others.

All these steps are welcome indeed and depict the Railway Minister's concern for the common man if and when he happens to travel by rail. However, there are two very important aspects of Railway journey which need immediate attention. First is the security and safety of Railway passengers and their belongings. Reports of serious crimes like robbery, murders and even rapes in running trains keep on trickling through the vigilant Indian media.

Surely such unfortunate incidents are of great concern. It is therefore essential that Railway security should be tightened so that those who undertake the journey should be able to reach their destination safe and sound. Second aspect which is equally important relates to facilities at the stations for the passengers especially small stations. It is surprising that even wholesome drinking water is not available.

For passengers travelling from Ruthiyai junction to Bina via Ashoknagar and from Guna junction to Gwalior via Shivpuri the journey is horrible during summer season particularly. On the Guna-Bina route except at Ashoknagar and on Guna-Gwalior route except at Shivpuri facilities for the travelling public are practically zero. The Railway budget makes no mention regarding the fate of many such passengers. Ruthiyai Railway station is a pretty important junction in Guna District. Several important long distance trains pass through this station. Some of them are Sabarmati Express, Ujjain Dehra Dun Express, Indore Dehra Dun Express, Indore-Delhi Express, Jaipur Jabalpur Express and newly started Indore-Amritsar Express in addition to several passenger and many goods trains. There is only one platform here. Sometimes when a train is already standing at this platform another train arriving by about the same time is taken on the adjacent line where there is no platform.

Even there is no light. Passengers have to hazard to the other train through the first train standing at platform no.1 as there is no overbridge which could be used to reach the other train. Needless to say that this Ruthiyai Junction is visited by many passengers from National Fertilizers, Gas Authority of India, JP Institute of Engineering Technology for catching trains to various destinations like Delhi, Dehra Dun, Gwalior and Jabalpur etc. They have to experience immense difficulty in the absence of another platform, inadequate lighting arrangement on the adjacent line and absence of an overbridge. Before any fatal accident takes place the Railway authorities should take immediate steps to provide the above essential facilities to the travelling public. General maintenance and sanitation of trains running on this route also leaves much to be desired. Stinking lavatories and choked washbasins are a common sight.

Windows do not go up and if they do they do not come down. Sweeping of the floors of the compartments is also done by beggars/crippled who demand money from the passengers after sweeping. All sorts of beggars also find it a source of easy money to enter the compartment and indulge in begging.