Rail staff to observe June 30 as black day, against private sector entry

Bibek Debroy panel says it has endorsed govt policy and it is not privatization

GN Bureau | June 13, 2015


#railways   #bibek debroy   #privatization   #black day  

Opposing private players in railways, the employees’ union has given a call for observing ‘black day’ on June 30 (Wednesday).

“We have decided to observe black day on June 30 all over the country by wearing black badges,” said Shiv Gopal Mishra, general secretary, All India Railway Federation. Terming it as a “clear roadmap for privatisation”, Mishra said, “We hope that the Debroy report will not be accepted by the government”.

The report is against 95 per cent of rail passengers of the country who travel in general and sleeper classes, Mishra said.

However, the high-powered committee, in its over 300-page report, has several times clarified that it does not recommend privatization of railways. Noting that role of private sector was already part of government policy, Debroy said the panel has only endorsed it and it was not a new recommendation.

The Bibek Debroy committee has recommended a whole set of reforms including entry of private players into railways, separation of off-line activities from core business, passing on subsidies to the Centre and an end to the practice of a separate budget.

For open access of other players, it has recommended separation of track construction operation, train operation and rolling stock production units under separate entities.

Prime minister Narendra Modi has said that there would be no privatization of railways. The PM has said that he had a "deep connection" with the railways. "I love railways. My life is what it is because of railways," Modi said. "The government will not go in the direction of railway privatization ... People are spreading rumours about privatization of railways. It is not true," Modi had said.

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu had also ruled out the possibility of privatization on several occasions. He had assured that FDI or public-private partnership (PPP) will not affect the ownership of railways. "We want to get private participation but that does not mean we want to privatize railways' operations," the minister had said.

The high-level committee was formed in September to restructure the railways and suggest ways for resource mobilisation. After the receipt of the final report, the railway board is to submit a report on it to the prime minister by this month-end.

Comments

 

Other News

How to leverage AI to solve urgent global issues

The world seems to be hurling towards World War III in all the possible scenarios: hot war, cold war, and proxy war. The battleground seems to have expanded beyond physical to digital or virtual/mixed reality with technology like drones. Moreover, the line between civilian and military targets seems to hav

Budget: Progress towards SDGs and areas for improvement

The Union Budget 2025-26 outlines India`s vision for economic and social growth while also reflecting the country`s commitment to sustainable development. As India moves closer to the 2030 deadline for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this budget presents a balanced approach

Repo rate cut by 25 basis points to 6.25%

The Reserve Bank of India has, for the first time in five years, reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 6.25% with immediate effect. Consequently, the standing deposit facility (SDF) rate will stand adjusted to 6.00% and the marginal

Amitav Ghosh’s new work: Connections between the word and the world

Wild Fictions: Essays By Amitav Ghosh HarperCollins, 496 pages, Rs 799.00 Amitav Ghosh, one of a handful of Ind

How markets can help (and also hinder) fight against pollution

In the annals of environmental policy, few ideas have been as transformative as the Emissions Trading System (ETS). Born from the minds of economists in the late 1960s, this market-based approach to pollution control has evolved from a theoretical concept to a global tool in the fight against climate chang

Will Bihar complement the resolution of Viksit Bharat 2047?

As India completes its diamond jubilee as a republic, I am reminded of a statement by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, delivered during an address to the Bihar Chamber of Commerce in Patna on March 28, 2006. He said, “I have visited Bihar numerous times, and it has always been a source of happiness for me to

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now



Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter