Feb. 13: The interim railway budget has left Jharkhand’s passengers feeling disappointed, as it has reportedly failed to fulfil long-standing demands for new trains.

Of the two new trains that were gifted to the state today, the Ranchi-Jaynagar Express, a tri-weekly train, is being perceived more as a gift to Bihar than Jharkhand.

Though the extension of Ranchi-Alipurduar Express to Guwahati, was welcomed, passengers have complained that Lalu Prasad failed to pay any heed to their demands for new trains to metros such as Calcutta, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune.

“We feel let down by Laluji’s budget. We had been asking him for new trains to Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad, but these demands, it seems, have fallen on deaf ears,” said Anchal Kinger, the president of the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI). Even requests coming from Subodh Kant Sahay, who has been asking for trains to south, especially to Hyderabad and Pune, were not kept.

The state’s trade community has been demanding new trains on the Ranchi-Howrah route. “The arrangement could help businessmen travel to Calcutta and back on the same day,” said Manoj Naredi, the former president of the FJCCI.

Trade and industry associations in Jamshedpur have been fuming ever since the railway budget was presented. Improvement of parking facility at Tatanagar, repair of Parsudih-Tatanagar road and a new train between Puri and Ajmer Sharief were some demands that were made by the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI). “It seems the railway minister is making a habit of neglecting Tatanagar,” said SCCI president Umesh Kauntia.

Dhanbad passengers are happy with the new Dhanbad-Kolhapur Express and the extension of the Nagpur-Gaya Dikhsabhoomi up to Dhanbad. However, a little bit more was expected here, too. “It’s a populist budget, but we had expected more trains,” said the secretary of the Federation of Dhanbad Zilla Chambers of Commerce & Industry Rajiv Sharma.

Members of passengers association, too, were unhappy. “He (Lalu) has failed to grant any gifts to us. The budget is disappointing,” said Ashok Nagpal, the secretary of Chhotanagpur Passengers’ Association (Ranchi). “Not a single demand of ours was fulfiled,” said R.K. Sarawagi, the secretary of Jharkhand Passengers’ Association.