Public to private
One is oddly uncomfortable while reading the statements of the Railway Board Chairman (Inside pages, “Private trains will benefit travellers’, July 3). Even when the Indian Railways was the only rail service provider, the IRCTC followed the airline industry’s practice of dynamic fares, a grossly inappropriate move by a monopoly service provider. If private trains are being allowed, it is only going to justify dynamic fares even more. One is quite sure that this is certainly not a welfare measure and all talk of bringing in competition to reduce fares is pure hogwash when just 5% of trains are set to go private.
It is very certain that the affluent will get to pay higher fares and travel in better quality trains. All the rosy pictures being painted of the Indian Railways’ development will see a silent burial. Soon, it will see the beginning of the end of rail coach factories as private operators will prefer to import trains, rather than expect government-owned behemoths to raise quality standards of the rakes and cars. The first casualty will most likely be the integral coach factories, followed by the wheel and axle plants. One is aghast at the impunity with which the present dispensation at the Centre is going about systematically dismantling the semblance of order and accountability for government assets, instead of raising the Railways’ services to world class, as was promised when it came to power in 2014. The lack of an effective Opposition in Parliament has never been felt so acutely in the past 74 years.
Anand Aravamudhan,
Chennai
The present system has grown too big and unviable to be handled as a single entity, though many vested interests are bound to scuttle all moves to run the railways better. A lot of money is needed to modernise and profitably run it and offer it as an alternative and comfortable travel option.
T.M. Ranganathan,
Srirangam, Tamil Nadu
Elephants under siege
It is sad that elephants in India continue to face no respite from dangers (Tamil Nadu, “Elephant shot dead near Mettupalayam”, July 3). Poaching, cases of electrocution and vehicular and train accidents are only rising. Depletion of forest cover due to encroachments, infrastructure, and a shortage of fodder and water sources in forests are some of the reasons for man-animal conflict. The wildlife law enforcement agencies have a pivotal role to play in protecting forests and wild animals. Appropriate changes must be made to wildlife laws, treating animal killings as grave crimes.
V. Johan Dhanakumar,
Chennai
