New Delhi/Patna, Feb 26: Porters from all over the country on Tuesday thanked Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav for his announcement of entitling them to jobs in railways.

Lalu Prasad on his budget speech announced one-time recruitment to licensed porters in the railways.

Porters constitute one of the largest working forces of the Indian railways.

“The registered porters who have licenses will be allowed to work as gangmen or any group D post in railways for one time after due screening,” Prasad told a news conference here. .

Porters across India celebrated and thanked the minister for the concern expressed for the huge force.

“I came here in 1976 and so far nobody had taken care of us. Now our life is secure so we are happy,” said Madhusudan Paswan, a porter from Patna.

Another porter from Allahabad said, “Today we, on behalf of all porters of the world thank Laluji for the gift he has given us. Our children got a livelihood, we thank him from the core of our heart.”

The budget had cut rail passenger fares and freight rates and unveiled a major push to modernise its huge network as it tries to woo voters ahead of a general election and bolster a fast-growing economy. (ANI)