The Railway Ministry has started work on 80 per cent of the budgetary pronouncements and hopes to initiate work on the remaining within a month.
Most of the work in progress outlined by Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda at a news conference here on Monday related to improving the basics such as cleanliness, safety, security and punctuality. The Minister revealed that a meeting once every fortnight with the top brass would be devoted to monitoring the progress made in implementing budgetary promises.
Work relating to restructuring of the Railway Board or the proposal about merging the Railway budget with the Union budget is being handled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Mr. Gowda said in response to a question from The Hindu .
Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Sinha said one set of studies for the proposed Ahmadabad-Mumbai bullet train had been completed and the submission of a business potential study was on the cards. “”It has been discussed, studies are being conducted,” he said.
Wooing private sector
As for inviting the private sector in a bigger way, Mr. Gowda said a model concession agreement should be ready in a month with a target of Rs. 6,000 crore during the year mainly in projects relating to first and last mile connectivity. The railways has received a poor response of four per cent against its previous budgetary expectations in this respect.
A ‘short duration’ committee on resource mobilisation will submit a report which will fine-tune the options before the railways.
There was some consternation at the press conference after some newspersons wanted to query the Minister on rape charges against his son. While officials wanted questions to be confined to the working of the Ministry, Mr. Gowda overruled them.
“I will answer,” said Mr. Gowda and proceeded to point out that he was not in a position to say anything because the issue was under investigation.
