Bibek Debroy outlines five pillars for railway reforms -Governance Now

Bibek Debroy outlines five pillars for railway reforms

NITI Aayog member says public-private partnership may improve the sector

GN Bureau | March 18, 2016

#niti aayog #Railways Reforms #suresh prabhu #bibek debroy

NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy

There are five pillars which can not only improve the financial condition but also accelerate the performance of Indian railways. The five pillars are: transition to commercial accounting; appointing an independent regulator; entry of private players; decentralisation of railways; and unification of entry into the services.

This was highlighted by Bibek Debroy, member, NITI Aayog and chairman, high level committee for railway restructuring, at the Railways Reform and Governance Conclave, organised by Governance Now, held in New Delhi on Friday. The Debroy-headed committee has recommended these suggestions to improve the performance of Indian railways, which has been deteriorating over the last six decades. Majority of these recommendations have been implemented and some are in the process of implementation. “Bringing reforms in railways is not a binary process,” said Debroy.

Debroy also said that around 400 out of 8,500 stations across the country have been shortlisted for the process of modernisation. Highlighting the role of public-private partnership in improvement of the railway sector, he said, “Private players cannot build the entire track line, but auctioning out certain paths to the private players is possible. Also, a whole train cannot be run by private players, but a few coaches can be managed by a private company.”

Comments

Other News

Autumn in Delhi is a sight to behold – grey air or no grey air

Delhi: A Nature Journal By Anuradha Kumar-Jain, with Illustrations by Bahaar Meera Jain Rupa Publications, 240 pages, Rs 695

The overlooked link: climate policy and public health

Returning from a recent Renewable Energy (RE) meeting of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), UN in Germany, I was struck by the news of Delhi’s record-high AQI levels forcing partial closures across NCR. This alarming situation begs the question: Is our health sector climate-resilient enough

Exploring the treasures of India arts is a treat with this guide

The Big Book of Indian Art: An Illustrated History of Indian Art from Its Origins to the Present Day By Bina Sarkar Ellias Aleph Book Company, 815 pages, Rs 2,499

Himalayan heights potentially perfect for India`s ‘Quantum Leap’ to space: Study

In a pioneering study for the Indian subcontinent, scientists have mapped out optimal locations for beaming quantum signals into space. Satellite-based quantum communications including quantum key distribution (QKD) represent one of the most promising approaches toward global-scale quantum c

Fadnavis takes oath as CM of Maharashtra

Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as chief minister of Maharashtra Thursday evening, ending days of uncertainty. Alliance partner and former CM Eknath Shinde, who had kept everyone guessing till the last moment, agreed to become a deputy CM alongside Ajit Pawar. The three leaders were administe

How effective is IMF financial assistance for developing countries and LDCs?

With low income levels and weak institutional capacities, developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are more vulnerable to external events like geopolitical crises, climate change, and rising debt burdens. To manage crises and foster development, these economies often rely on