Kozhikode: The Railway Ministry’s plan to develop the Kozhikode railway station under the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode has triggered protests by Dakshin Railway Employees Union (DREU).
To secure support from like-minded trade unions, DREU will hold a convention near the station premises on Thursday afternoon. CITU State general secretary Elamaram Karim will open the convention.
Kozhikode station is among the 23 railway stations which will be developed with world-class facilities at a cost of ₹75 crore each.
Under the Swiss Challenge Method, the four sites selected for the project will be leased to the successful bidder for 45 years. Vadakara-based Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) and INKEL Limited, a public-private-partnership initiative, have already evinced interest in the project.
Meanwhile, coming down heavily on the proposal, DREU general secretary Mathew Cyriac and joint general secretary R.G. Pillai on Tuesday said the proposal of the Railway Ministry was to implement the recommendations of the Bibek Debroy Committee which suggested total privatisation of the Railways.
“The committee had recommended that the prime land in the possession of the Railways be handed over to private agencies for development. The proposal comes at a time when the Railways have no land for infrastructure development including laying of rail tracks,” they said.
According to them, all railway infrastructure and resources will be brought under various companies, corporations and special purpose vehicles in the future. Railway tracks, stations, electrical installations, and signal systems will be separated from the Railways to form corporations, they feared.
The union leaders also pointed out that privatisation would lead to enormous increase in passenger fares and closure of loss-making routes. “Private operators will take over all profitable services. Besides, the number of railway employees is likely to be reduced. Also, permanent posts in the Railways will be brought under contract system,” they said.
