|
The Union Minister of Railways, Shri Lalu Prasad, has exuded confidence that the performance of Indian Railways in the current financial year would improve further. Addressing the first meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Members of Parliament for his Ministry here today, Shri Prasad informed the Members that performance of Railways during the first half of the current financial year ending September has been appreciable. The growth of passengers has registered an improvement of 5 per cent and freight traffic by 1.34 per cent in excess of the target. The Minister said with the healthy growth of traffic output upto September, 2004, Rs.22001 crores were earned by the Railways with a surplus of Rs.481 crores (2.23 per cent) higher than the budgetary target for the period.
Talking of the overall performance of Indian Railways so far, the Minister gave an overview of the steps taken by the United Progressive Alliance Government for all-round development of Indian Railways and the measures for improving rail services that were underway. He informed the Members that following a comprehensive effort made, the number of train accidents during the first half of current fiscal year has come down to 115 compared to 189 during the corresponding period of the previous years. As for introduction of 34 pairs of trains including 17 pairs of Sampark Kranti Express trains, extension of 10 pairs of trains and increase in the frequency of 13 pairs of trains announced in the Budget 2004-2005, 11 pairs of trains including 3 pairs of Sampark Kranti Express trains have been introduced, 4 pairs of trains extended and frequency of 9 pairs of trains increased. The Minister further informed the Members that sales of milk and branded milk products have begun on the Railways. The railways were now using cups, plates and kulhars, which were bio-degradable for serving tea, coffee, snacks and meals for passengers. These were intended to boost up village and cottage industry and generate additional employment to the poor sections of the society. As for improving the catering services, the Minister informed the Members that a new catering policy has been launched, which among other measures, would improve considerably the quality, quantity and standards of catering at cost effective and competitive pricing. Besides, the Railways would sell items of daily use like tooth paste, brush, soap strips, band aids and non-prescription medicines from pantry cars of important trains to provide further satisfaction to its customers. The Railways have also begun using Khadi and Handloom clothes for bed linen, upholstery items, furniture and in trains.
The Minister announced to the delight of the wagon industry that from next financial year onwards, bogies and couplers would be made free supply items for all wagon builders. He also announced that by 2011-12 all passenger coaches would be fitted with bio-degradable modular toilets. The modular toilets would prevent discharge of effluents at stations. The Minister further announced that all air-conditioned coaches would be provided with electrical points for charging cellular phones and laptop computers within a time frame of one year. So far, 500 AC coaches have been provided with such facilities, he added. Added to this, the Minister informed the Members that Technology Mission on Railway Safety in collaboration with IIT, Kanpur has been taken up in right earnest to focus national attention on modern technologies of monitoring, control, communication, design, electronics and materials for railway safety.
In an unprecedented and dramatic move typical of Shri Prasad’s extra ordinary responsiveness to the people, the Minister invited a group of 172 students from St. Joseph School, Mumbai, visiting Parliament House, to witness the proceedings of the Consultative Committee Meeting, now that the Parliament was not in session. The Minister apprised them of how Indian Railways were functioning. He also heard their experiences of traveling by train from Mumbaito Delhi. The Minister blessed them and ordered the Railway staff to provide them sweets and food free of cost from Indian Railways. The Canteen in Parliament is run by Indian Railways. That is how the Minister had his tryst with tomorrow’s India. For this unprecedented move of the Minister, the Members of Parliament complimented him profusely.
In today’s meeting, there was no agenda. The Members demanded new lines, timely completion of ongoing projects, introduction of new trains, extension of rail services, improvement in passenger amenities, electrification, gauge conversion, and cleanliness.
The Members who took part in today’s meeting were : S/Shri Smt. Nizamoddin, Abdul Mannan Hossain, Furkan Ansari, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Sartaj Singh Chhatwal, D.C. Srikantappa, Y.G. Mahajan, G.L. Bhargav, Harisingh N. Rathod, Ms. Kiran Maheswari, Dr. Sebestian Paul, Anil Basu, Smt. Sushmita Bauri, Prabodh Panda, D. Ravinder Naik, Rabindra Rana, Joachim Baxla (All MPs from Lok Sabha) R.K. Dhawan, Dr. A.K. Patel, Smt. Savita Sharda, T.S. Bajwa, Sk. Khabir Uddin Ahmad, Birabhadra Singh, P.G. Narayanan (All MPs from Rajya Sabha).
|
