Debroy panel asked to give first report within 6 months

Earlier, the committee was given a year to submit its report

In an effort to speed the reform and resource mobilisation process of Indian Railways, the Prime Minister’s Office has asked the newly formed Bibek Debroy committee for its first set of recommendations and a blueprint of the plan ahead within six months. Sources at Rail Bhavan say Minister Sadananda Gowda is keen to include some of its suggestions in the next Railway Budget, to be presented in February next year.

Earlier, the committee was given a year to file its report. The committee was recently formed three months after Gowda announced reform of the Railway Board and resource mobilisation for railway projects as a priority area in his first budget speech.

“We have asked them to come up with a roadmap in next six months, so that based on those recommendations some substantial steps be taken in the Budget,” said a senior Railway Board official.

The first meeting of the committee is scheduled on October 17 at Rail Bhavan.

Senior railway officials say the focus of the first set of recommendations will be on the resource mobilisation for various railway projects. “We are looking ahead to some suggestions on how the various kinds of projects be structured so as to make these attractive for private players. What are the other resources that can be mobilized to fund pending projects etc,” said another Railway Board official.

The move is also seen a sign that the government is serious on the reform of Indian Railways, considering the fate of earlier committee reports none of whose suggestions were accepted.

The committee headed by renowned economist Debroy includes K M Chandrashekhar, former cabinet secretary, Gurcharan Das, former chairman and managing director of Procter & Gamble and Partha Mukopadhyay of the Centre for Policy Research, among others.

Often criticised for low efficiency, bureaucratic attitude and poor asset management, this will be one of the crucial reforms for the Railways after introduction of fuel adjustment component, which linked fuel rates and freight and passenger fees- to rationalise these and reduce political interference.

In line with the earlier cabinet order which called for setting up of a Rail Tariff Authority that would be advisory, the committee would also examine and suggest modalities for setting up this.