Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said that the government is prioritizing railway safety, allocating more than Rs 1 lakh crore annually for the enhancement of various systems.
During the debate on the Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Rajya Sabha, the minister highlighted that as a result of several measures, the yearly railway accident rate has dropped from 171 incidents to 30.
He said various several initiatives are underway to upgrade technology and emphasized that the Modi government has made more progress in improving railway infrastructure in 11 years than what was achieved in 60 years under Congress rule.
The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed in the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote. The bill had already been approved by the Lok Sabha in December of the previous year.
"In the UPA regime, investment to enhance safety used to be in the range of Rs 8,000-10,000 crore. Today we are investing a sum of over Rs 1.14 lakh crore every year on enhancing safety," Vaishnaw said.
"Even after reaching this level, we are not satisfied. We will have to go to the root cause of the matter to solve issues," Vaishnaw said.
Vaishnaw noted that measures have been implemented to upgrade tracks, safety devices, and level crossings. He pointed out that the government has completely addressed safety concerns at 9,000 unmanned level crossings by either deploying personnel or building underpasses or flyovers.
The minister also mentioned that the field offices, led by General Managers and Divisional Railway Managers, are now significantly more empowered.
"Now GM has 100 per cent power to accept the contract, whether the tender amount is Rs 10 crore or RS 1,000 crore. GMs are also given the power to approve projects below Rs 50 crore," he said, assing this decentralisation in the last 10 years has led to speedy execution of work.
Vaishnaw said that the Prime Minister firmly supports cooperative federalism. He pointed out that even in states where the BJP is not in power, they have received generous allocations in the current railway budget.
In states like Kerala, where the BJP is not in power, the Modi government has allocated Rs 3,000 crore, a substantial increase compared to the Rs 372 crore allocated during the previous UPA government.
Similarly, Tamil Nadu received Rs 6,626 crore, a significant increase from the Rs 870 to 880 crore allocated during the UPA government. In Odisha, the allocation has risen to Rs 10,000 crore, compared to Rs 800 crore under the UPA regime. West Bengal has been allocated Rs 13,955 crore by the Modi government, a sharp rise from the Rs 4,380 crore provided by the UPA government, the minister stated.
"On what ground do they allege discrimination with the state governments," he said while requesting them not to do such petty politics Over the Opposition's allegation that the government missed an opportunity to reform the railways, Vaishnaw said for the last 10 years, a continuous process of reforms has been going on. In the last 11 years, 34,000 km of new railway tracks were laid, which is more than the total network of a developed country such as Germany.
"More than 45,000 km of tracks are electrified now," he said, adding this will help in the reduction in pollution and reduce dependence on fossil fuel, which is also a strategic requirement. Replying to lack of amenities such as toilets, the minister said in the last 11 years, over 3.10 lakh toilets have been made inside the Railway coaches.
On the issue of reduced employment opportunities, Vaishnaw noted that while the UPA government created 4.11 lakh jobs, the NDA government has provided 5.02 lakh jobs.
Ramji Lal Suman of the SP expressed disappointment, saying that the Railways is not conducting recruitment exams, leading to many unfilled vacancies.
Vaishnaw mentioned that the Railways recently conducted two exams, one of which was for Group D, where 1.26 crore candidates participated. The exam was held over 68 days in 133 shifts across 211 cities and 726 centres, conducted in 15 languages. He emphasized that the process was transparent and free from any paper leaks.
Vaishnaw also dismissed concerns raised by opposition parties that the Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 would lead to greater centralization and diminish the power of state governments. He clarified that the bill aims to improve the functioning and independence of the Railway Board.
The Railway Board will now be included under the 1989 Railway Act, making the central government responsible for the appointment, qualifications, tenure, and criteria for the Chairman and members of the Board.
The Bill also introduces provisions to appoint an independent regulator to oversee issues such as fare determination and ensure the competitiveness of the Railways.
During the discussion, Sandeep Kumar Pathak of AAP, V Sivadasan of CPIM, Ramji Lal Suman of SP, and BJP members Aditya Prasad and Pradip Kumar Varma participated. Sandeep Kumar Pathak expressed support for the bill but emphasized the need for an overhaul of railway management.
Pathak stressed the importance of investing in capacity building and generating more internal resources, as currently, 70 percent of the funds are used for pensions and salaries.
Sivadasan criticized the rail ministry, claiming it has "derailed." He pointed out that over 2.5 lakh positions are vacant and argued that while ticket prices are being increased for premium tatkal services, the quality of amenities is being reduced.
They are putting big cut out of the prime minister at every railway station but are not ready to make toilets for passengers, he said
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