Trinamool workers cheer Mamata’s railway budget

"It’s a budget for maa, mati, manush (mother, motherland and people)," is how a jubliant Trinamool Congress worker described party chief and Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee's rail budget presented Friday. Trinamool workers in West Bengal cheered the budget and said it will lead the party to victory in the next assembly polls.

Banerjee's home at Harish Chatterjee Street here wore a festive look as Trinamool workers distributed sweets, smeared 'gulaal' (coloured powder) on each other, exchanged greetings and waved the party flag after West Bengal got many projects in the budget including a power plant, a rail coach factory and four out of the 12 new long-distance non-stop trains.

Trinamool workers felt the ‘pro-people’ budget will help propel the party’s growth in West Bengal.

“We’re extremely happy with this year’s budget. Didi (Banerjee) has successfully met the expectation of commoners,” said Arun Roy, a Trinamool Congress supporter.

Banerjee’s family members sat glued to television as the budget speech was beamed live.

“I am very happy today. I wish she fulfils all the aspirations of the common people of the country,” Gayatri Banerjee, the minister’s 71-year-old mother, told reporters here.

“Like many other people of our country, we are equally happy with the budget. It will help millions avail the railway connectivity which is considered the lifeline of the India,” said Kalpana Banerjee, the sister-in law of the Trinamool chief.

Banerjee was earlier the railways minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government between October 1999 and March 2001.

Last updated on Jul 3^rd, 2009 at 17:52 pm IST--IANS