Panaji, Feb 26 (IANS): The Congress in Goa on Thursday criticised the railway budget presented by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, even as the BJP and members of trade and industry in Goa welcomed it.

"As always, despite Goa being the key railway hub on Konkan coast, the Railway Minister has ignored its demands and needs yet again, nothing special for Goa," Goa Congress spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said.

Bharatiya Janata Party's South Goa MP Narendra Savoikar called the budget "common man centric".

"The rail budget is common-man centric with a focus to improve the passenger amenities, modernisation, raising and improving the infrastructure, which is the need of the hour," Savoikar said.

R.S. Kamat, deputy general manager of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also welcomed the budget.

"The Goa Chamber welcomes the budget proposals of the Railway Minister and requests him for an early connectivity between two tourist destinations Vasco da Gama and Tirupathi as announced by him and effectively implement the policies which were announced in the budget for the benefit of the common man," Kamat said.