Even as Suresh Prabhu made an honest attempt to shun populism and address the real issue of chronic under-investment in railways, it is time for our political class take to the way of the monarchs of yore, not with first class royal facilities but as commoners in sleeper class
Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu recently presented the Railway Budget, which was hailed by both the industry and the observers as reformist and innovative. The Budget focused on modernisation, electrification, enhancing capacity, increasing speed, network decongestion, improving passenger amenities, station redevelopment, high speed rail etc, through massive investment.
To quote AK Agarwal, Chairman, Rail Council, Assocham, “The Rail Budget is not only an annual statement of accounts but gives direction/vision for coming years also. There are so many unique characteristics of this Budget. It is technology-oriented, aims at long-term advantage of investment to create more line capacity and better asset utilisation.” Even as Mr Prabhu refrained from hiking railway fares, he made an apparently honest attempt, to shun populism and address the real issue of chronic under-investment in railways, by giving a realistic picture of the money that is to be required over the next four years to sustain the railways and reverse high operating ratios.
Indian Railways is often referred to as the largest carrier of passenger and freight traffic, the largest employer, largest land owner and the country’s lifeline, yet what is equally understated is that it is the single largest outreach programme of the Union Government. No amount of social media, television and radio or publicity blitzkrieg can personally reach out to the citizens from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Guwahati as much as the Indian Railways can.
From Swachch Bharat Abhiyan to Make in India, perhaps no other medium can highlight the success and impact of the Government’s ambitious programme as much as the railways. What’s more, even to the outside world, all the Incredible India advertisements of the Ministry of Tourism cannot make the image makeover that the railways can do by merely improving the situation on both sides of the railway tracks.
The railways is not only the Union Government’s showcase to its citizens but it also projects India to the rest of the world. It is here that one needs to make a reality check and assess what can be done to bring about that much anticipated visible change, which would make or mar the BJP Government’s fate in the foreseeable future. While issues of rail safety in the wake of mishaps and quality of food are often raised from time to time, both within and outside Parliament, some recent railway journeys and experiences brought to fore, certain hitherto neglected aspects.
With 3,980 metric tonnes of excreta on the railway tracks, the railways is one of the largest pollutants in the country. While the department, proudly showcases its bio-toilet at New Delhi and other important railway stations, the fact remains that it is available so far only in 1,900 out of the 40,000 existing trains. What a mammoth task indeed! It is estimated to cost a minimum of Rs10,000 crore to instal these eco-friendly toilets in all trains. A recent short film produced by senior Kerala journalist K Rajendran of Kairali TV, has highlighted this important issue.
Similarly, while the sanction of 77 projects, covering 9,400km of doubling/tripling/quadrupling works, along with electrification, across the country, at a cost of Rs96,182 crore certainly looks impressive, the billion rupee question is, what will the railways do with the electrification if it doesn’t have adequate number of electric locos to carry the ever increasing freight and passenger traffic and enhance the speed of trainsIJ
In this regard, one really wonders why Mr Prabhu gave a miss to the recommendations of the Rakesh Mohan Committee, submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the projected requirement of Indian Railways of 28,000 electric locos by 2032, that can’t be fulfilled by the country’s current per annum installed capacity of around 400 locos (Chittaranjan locomotives Works: 300 and Bharat Heavy Electricals ltd: 100).
Even after the Dankuni and the Madhepura facilities become fully commissioned and operational in the coming years, the railways’ per annum installed capacity may go up by an average 150 locos at best, raising the total installed capacity to 550 electric locos per annum. But it would not be anywhere near the requirement of 28,000 locos in the next 17 years.
It is pertinent to mention that freight trains, over the world, have four times more carrying capacity than Indian Railways. The three-phase loco technology imported from Switzerland during the then Railways Minister CK Jaffer Sharief’s tenure, not only costs double, but is half as reliable as the conventional technology.
In view of the increased thrust on electrification, the railways would do well to enhance production of 2,000 electric locos in the next four years through effective engagement of the two public sector undertakings. It would certainly provide a techno-socio-economic-political boost to the Government and the railways, in terms of freight traffic enhancement, employment generation, profitability to trade and industry, more trains ie better transportability, exponential debottlenecking and better resource utilisation. Only then can the railways realise its mantra of “heavier, faster and longer.”
From Shatabdis to local passenger trains, most trains are reporting late with little accountability to the Government and answerability to passengers, who are not even provided real time information through effective announcement systems within the trains, which play only recorded messages as of now. It shows scant disregard for the consumer.
Not only in States such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, even in places such as Kerala, one finds that during the pilgrimage season, reserved seats are forcibly occupied, even as families with reserved seats keep standing or are squeezed in their seats for hours together with no railway security staff or ticket examiner in sight. It would not be an exaggeration to state that sleeper class passengers are treated like second class citizens.
Similarly, except for some fare concession and special counters at selected stations, there is hardly any facility for the physically challenged and the senior citizens. According to Eminence — an NGO working for the elderly, senior citizens suffer in the absence of several facilities such as lack of elderly-friendly railway platforms, choice of berth, arrangements for ramps and wheelchairs, escalators and elevators, which cause immense hardship to them.
Industry captains point out that while the Railway Budget does carry a reformist tone, the deadlines have not been spelt out. Some skeptics say the announcements don’t inspire much confidence given the railways previous record of sanctioning works and then not moving on it for years. But according to the common man, railways should not be just a passenger and goods carrier but a socially conscious and sensitive entity. It has the potential to earn the trust and goodwill of millions.
In the good old days, kings and princes used to travel incognito to understand the problems faced by the people. That has over the years, been replaced by “surprise” checks with television cameras in tow. It is high time, for our political class and bureaucrats take to the way of the monarchs of yore, not with first class royal facilities but as commoners in sleeper class to understand the pulse of the people, their grievances and aspirations and try to redress them to the extent possible. Only then can there be ‘sabka saath, sab ka vikas’. Together we can.
(The writer is Senior Fellow and Editor, Vivekananda International Foundation)