Rejecting Opposition’s charge that the Rail Budget has nothing for poor, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Wednesday reiterated that it had “everything for the common man”, as he unveiled a three-pronged strategy including an austerity drive to revitalise railways. Replying to the debate on Rail Budget in the lok Sabha, the Minister said “the budget has everything for common man...Common man is the Centre of the Budget.”
The initiatives intended to benefit the common man includes e-ticketing, catering on demand, bio-toilets, food for infants, better stations etc, the Minister said. He also said the weaker sections including members of SC and ST would be given preference while awarding contracts for setting up stalls at railway stations.
Observing that “railways have been going through challenging times...(and) a real crisis accumulated over the years”, Prabhu said his three-pronged strategy was aimed at “significantly” improving the financial health of the railways and make it a “precious asset of the nation”.
The lower House later passed the appropriation Bills and the demands for grants in connection with the Rail Budget for 2016-17, after over a debate that witnessed participation of over 100 members. The strategy to revive the railways include augmentation of services, generation of more revenue and optimisation of cost. Elaborating on the strategy, the Minister said he proposed to launch an “austerity drive” to reduce administrative expenses.
Prabhu said Railways have to be to raise both traditional and non-traditional resources and involve private sector through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode to develop stations and other services.
Speaking about the bullet trains, Prabhu said in a lighter vein that probably UPA had some premonition about the future Prime Minister and Railway Minister, prompting them to contemplate country’s first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, so that the two leaders could meet often. Responding to concerns of the members about the funds involved in introducing bullet trains, the Minister said it would be built with Japanese funding.
“Non-freight revenue is something we have to pay a lot of thrust. We are reviving the parcel business. Advertising (revenue) will be increased at least four times. We are working on it,” he said, adding the railways was also for the first time contemplating to “monetising data”.
Observing that about seven billion passengers travel by rail every year, Prabhu said, Tthis is the largest number anywhere. So why not we use the data available to us, monetise it and start earning revenue. All of these things will ensure the long-term financial viability of the railways.”