New Delhi, Feb 26 : Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has announced that his ministry will make concerted efforts to fill up approximately 1.52 lakh vacancies this year.

Bansal, who presented Railway Budget for 2013-14 in Parliament today, said that it is a measure of popularity of Railways as an employer that a staggering 2.2 crore applications were received.

For the first time, railways recruitment examinations were held at more than 60 cities across the country. In the process, a backlog of about 47,000 vacancies earmarked for weaker sections and physically challenged is likely to get cleared. (ANI)