Stating that Railway Minister Lalu Prasad had incorporated several things suggested by him in the budget, Deshmukh congratulated him for making "substantial allocation" for Mumbai and rest of the state.
The approval given to Mumbai Urban Transport Project-2, extension of suburban railway services and addition of new facilities in suburban network have provided relief to Mumbai commuters, he said.
The decision to extend Mumbai-Nagpur Vidarbha Express till Gondia and Parli-Latur passenger till Osmanabad will help commuters in those regions, said Deshmukh, who hails from Latur in Central Maharashtra.
The announcement about broad gauge conversion of Kurduwadi-Osmanabad, Akola-Purna lines and Pen-Roha line extension will also benefit the people, he said.
By announcing new trains like Pune-Gorakhpur, Nashik-Pune, Mumbai-Ajmer and Solapur-Bagalkot, the Railway Minister has taken into consideration the interests of Maharashtra, Deshmukh said.
The budget will stimulate development and provide relief to the poor, two key priorities for the UPA government at the Centre, observed Deshmukh, who is heading a Congress-led administration in the state.
