The efforts of the government to revive the Department of Posts (DoP) seems to be bearing fruits as its deficit is likely to come down by over 16 percent to Rs 5,309.6 crore in 2011-12, the Economic Survey 2011-12 said on Thursday.

The UIDAI's Aadhaar project for providing unique identity numbers to residents, has huge potential to improve the delivery of social sector schemes like rural employment guarantee, the Economic Survey 2011-12 said.

Hours after he took oath as the Chief Minister  of Punjab, 85-year-old SAD leader Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday termed the Rail Budget as ‘directionless’ and accused the Centre of ignoring the state in the budget.

Criticising the hike in passenger fare, former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday said it will put a burden on common people and wondered how the Railways had been reduced to a "dry cow".

Presenting a populist budget, Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday announced marginal hike in passenger fares ranging from 2 paisa per kilometre to 30 paisa per kilometre in various categories of trains despite noting that Railways was passing through a "difficult phase".

Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi's maiden budget presentation in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday was comparatively low-key to those by his predecessors Mamata Banerjee and Lalu Prasad with fewer quips, jibes, jeers and interventions during his speech.

The Rail budget Highlights: * Target of reducing accidents from 0.55 to 0.17 has been met. * Special purpose vehicle to be set up on safety protocols. * Independent railway safety authority to be set up as statutory safety body.

Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday opposed the hike in train fares announced in the Rail Budget, saying the government should not have increased the rate in one go and put an "additional burden" on the common man.

In a bid to provide better catering services in a hygienic environment, the railways will start pilot projects involving international catering companies in premium trains, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said on Wednesday.

Making as many as 41 references to safety in his budget speech, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday said he would endeavour to eliminate deaths on the world's third largest rail network.