Railway minister Mamata Banerjee in her new budget offered 100% concession to the cancer patients, who go for treatment along with an escort in AC-3 and sleeper class. Earlier the concession was 75%.

"The treatment cost is as it is so high and each month, I have to make two trips for chemotherapy to Chandigarh. The travel concession would certainly help me save some money", said Ram Gosian, a patient of stomach cancer undergoing treatment at the PGI in Chandigarh.

Around 3,000 cancer patients come to the OPDs of PGI alone. Only 10% patients are of the city itself; most of the patients come for treatment from neighboring states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and as far as Bihar.

The technicians of regional film industry would also get concession of 75% in second sleeper and 50% in higher classes, in all trains, when travelling for film production related work.

"We have discussed this concession element at technicians' meets several times and finally also sent in a proposal on this score to the railway minister. I'm very happy that Mamata Banerjee has come up with this sop. The Bengali film industry, or any others for that matter, will benefit from this concession. At least 70-80 crew members, on an average, travel on the train when a movie is being shot. The producers will benefit from this", said Gautam Ghosh, a regional film-maker.