Hon.
Deputy-Speaker, with your permission, I will lay on the Table of this House
this booklet that we have prepared. I will circulate it to all the hon.
Members also. It is about the initiatives that we have taken in the
last few months on increasing the freight traffic. It is not just
reduction in freight rates, but there are many new initiatives that we have
taken, which are reforming the freight sector of the Railways in a significant
way. Sir, we are also working on passengers’ side in a significant way. Satisfying
the customers is a very difficult thing. About three crore people travel by
railway trains. So, we have taken a number of measures to make sure that we do
not lose passengers. It happened for a short time that the140
number of passengers travelling in trains was going down. We have been able to
arrest that trend now.160 Rather, we have been able to
increase the number of rail passengers. I must appreciate that the
Standing Committee on Railways was right in pointing out that we need to
even look at this issue. Therefore, to get the passengers back to the Railways,
we have taken up a number of measures.
Again,
with your permission, Sir, I will lay this booklet also before the House a
little later. But, Sir, it is not the traditional revenues which will sustain
the Railways. We need to do even more. We made some announcements in the
Budget. Incidentally, all the Budget announcements made in the previous Budget
as well as in this Budget have either been implemented fully or are under very280
advanced stage of implementation. So, one of the things that we did is
to create a non-fare Revenue Directorate for which additional revenue will come
from advertisement. We are not investing any money. This will be done by
somebody else but320 Railways will get revenue. Then, I come
to station displays. We would have probably 1,00,000 displays across 5,000
railway stations.
Sir,
here comes the question of station development. The first station redevelopment
project has been handed over in Habibganj, Bhopal. About four or five stations
are in the advanced stage, two in Delhi, two in Gujarat, and at other places.
This will again bring in more revenue and also monetizing the land and the
data. This is what we would like to do. The increase in revenue is one part of
the strategy. Reduction in cost is more important.420
Reduction in energy cost is also important. It is the second highest amount.
Water is also a significant item and we have already started audits and
everything. We are also bringing in savings in the capital expenditure. If
you are going to invest Rs. 1,21,000 crore, even 10 per cent saving will be
a significant benefit for the Railways. We are480 trying to
work on that. We are using the technology of the highest order. I will
circulate to all the hon. Members the details of our new initiatives in the
field of technology. We are bringing in a completely transformative approach to
the Railways. Therefore, we are working on ERP as well as on the new accounting
system. In fact, this has been a recommendation for a long time. We have
already rolled it out. The accounting system that we have560
rolled out will be integrating right from budgeting to outcomes in a very organized
manner. We have also started a new complaint redressal mechanism, which one day
I will share with all of you. But this again would mean that we need an organizational
revamp.
I
am happy to say that we are restructuring various arms of Railway
organization in a significant way. We have already taken a number of
measures. We have tried to restructure the whole thing.640
We are also delegating powers to bring in more decentralization.
The Railways, as you know, is the most centralized organization. So, we are
trying to decentralize its operations by delegating powers but we will
make sure that the delegated power will be used properly. Shri Mallikarjun
Kharge will be happy to know that we are introducing the concept of key result700
areas so that each of the functionaries will be accountable for
something. It is not otherwise that we have given authority and they will
have to bring in. All of these will happen in a transparent way for which we
have also taken a number of measures and set up regulators. Many hon. Members
have pointed out that they need something significantly more for their
States than what was available. As I explained, we have increased the
amount from Rs. 40,000 crore to Rs. 1,21,000 crore, which is almost three
times. That is why, we are able to give them more.800
West Bengal needs more; obviously, it needs more. Bihar needs more; obviously,
it needs more. As Mr. Trivedi pointed out about the problems of West Bengal, we
are looking into all the problems of the States.840 We have
also suggested that joint ventures be formed with the States. I am happy
to say that when we had announced it, 16 States in principle gave their
approval. Now, we have gone ahead. A number of meetings have taken place. For
every State which has agreed, we are preparing a separate business
plan for which we have involved the World Bank, the Asian
Development Bank, etc.
You
know, we are in the various stages of talking. So, I do not want to
comment on that. But I must say that West Bengal has a Chief Minister,
who was also the Railway Minister. She understands the problem at both the
ends. We have been constantly in dialogue with each other. The support and960
the cooperation of West Bengal is as good as many other States.
We are working on980 a joint venture with States. As I was
saying, we have involved at least 10 different financial institutions which
are preparing business plan. We will put some equity, the State Government will
put some equity and a balanced amount will be raised. We are only talking to
various financial organizations which will help the States to do it. I
must compliment all the Chief Ministers including the Chief Minister of Kerala.
I must really compliment him. He met me recently and he very clearly said that he
would like to take up only the viable projects. So, I really compliment the
present Chief Minister of Kerala as well as the previous Chief Minister of
Kerala for doing this because the change of guard has not resulted into a change
of position. Therefore, this again speaks volumes for the people of Kerala that
they can think about the1120 national issue in this
manner. So, we are also working on PPP; we are also doing international
collaboration; we are also involving citizens for making the Railways viable.
Again,
with your permission, Sir, I will place before this House a booklet in which
we have already done a number of measures involving the citizens. I must
compliment them. Many of the stations in India are getting completely different
look, thanks to the selfless, dedicated participation of these public-spirited
people. They are spending their own money. They are trying to come
forward. This is something that has happened thanks to the leadership of
our Prime Minister. He has been able to bring in a new element. He is a strong
proponent of the Railways. He believes that the Railways can bring in the transformation
of India. Therefore, we are doing it1260 and we are trying
to achieve it. Sir, I come to last few points about which some of the Members
asked me.1280 One is, as Mamata ji had prepared, that we are
preparing a physical, on-the-ground plan, not a vision but a real plan, about
how railway connectivity should happen. For the kind information of the Members
who have raised the issue, we are preparing a physical plan for the Railways
for 2030. There has not been a plan like this for a simple reason. If
you come and meet me, I will take up your line. But why should we not
take up a line based on certain logic? Therefore, we are devising this plan.
This plan will not be ready unless all the stakeholders like the hon.
Members of Parliament, the State Governments and1400 the Legislative
Assembly Members are consulted. It will be done in the shortest
possible time. We have already started the work.
We
are also working on HR. We are making three new dedicated freight corridors.
This is the point that1440 some of the Members made. We are
also creating marketing and also helping to start a new start-up programme. The
idea is, as you mentioned, a national policy for the Railways. In
fact, you are aware that the previous Government had appointed Dr. Rakesh Mohan
to come out with an integrated transport policy. It is because, actually
speaking, we need an integrated transport policy in which the Railways will
be a major component. That policy is ready. I have had a number of meetings
with Dr. Rakesh Mohan. We will try to take his ideas on board.1540
But I fully appreciate the demand, the concern, the involvement of all of you.
Everybody wants more. As you can see, we have already got more than what normal
business would have given. But, that is not enough; more is not enough. We have
more, but not enough. To take it from more to enough, the Railways must become
vibrant.1600
