The NDA Government will set up a committee under “Metro Man” E Sreedharan for all-round improvement in the functioning of the Railways. Addressing a Press conference in Bangalore on Sunday, Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said he would request Sreedharan to head the committee to guide him in the functioning of the department.
“I need to have a technical committee that can guide and brief me about all the ins and outs of the department. Certainly within three or four days after consultation with Prime Minister, I will have a team of experts who can guide me,” Gowda told reporters here. The Minister, however, said he has not yet decided on who would be in the committee.
“Certainly Sreedharan’s name is always in the front line. As far as Railways is concerned, I haven’t spoken to him. Tomorrow I will talk to him and seek his assistance to bring railway department to a new high,” he said. “As I am new to the Ministry and know very little about its functioning, it is imperative I have an expert committee to advise me on how to improve its working and make it achieve the 4-S mantra — safety, security, service and speed ,” Gowda asserted after a meeting with officials and State lawmakers.
He also said with the proposed committee’s help and in consultation with the Prime Minister, he would prepare the Railway Budget for this fiscal (2014-15) to be presented in July. Admitting that expectations from the people are very high, Gowda said he will need more time to study the working of the Railways, its resources, financial health, challenges and shortages in various departments across its network.
“I am conscious of the people’s expectations, especially in my home State (Karnataka) where rail density is less than in other States, as surveys, new lines, doubling of tracks, modernisation of stations and better amenities are in progress,” he said. He also announced a freight corridor between Chennai and Mangalore in Karnataka. “I plan a Mangalore-Chennai freight corridor for west coast-east coast port connectivity via Bangalore and Hassan in the State. We have to work out the details with the State Government and the Union Surface Transport and Shipping Ministry,” he said.
On privatisation of Railways and resource mobilisation, he said it was quite premature to answer about it, at this juncture. “Certainly we need more resource mobilisations. On how to get it, I will consult experts.” To a question on creating a separate zone for Seemandhra, he said, “if we feel that it is needed for the development and interest of that State, we will look into it.”
On the issue of fare hike, Gowda said, “I need at least 15 days time. I feel that now people are prepared to pay given that they are provided with good service.” The Minister said his predecessor Mallikarjuna Kharge had put a burden on him by announcing an increase of 10 per cent hike in railway tariff and 5 per cent hike on freight and not implementing them.
As the ninth Railway Minister from Karnataka, Gowda said he will seek guidance of his predecessors Mallikarjuna Kharge, KH Muniyappa and CK Jaffer Sharief of the Congress in implementing pending projects and introducing new lines to expand rail connectivity across the State.