Got rid of Railway budget to remove political interference: Piyush Goyal

Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal on Saturday said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government has changed the functioning of the Indian Railways and removed the Railway budget as it was being used as a 'political tool'.

"There has been a dramatic shift both in concept and execution of policies by this government as compared to the previous governments over the years. Over the last 65 years, every Railways budget that came in was a political tool, based on which elections were fought and promises were made," Goyal said while addressing the India Ideas Conclave 2018 here.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi changed the functioning of the Railways. We got rid of the Railway budget to remove political interference and started prioritising what is good for India instead of any political class of people. The investments made over the past four-and-a-half years reflect a huge focus on three aspects: Safety, Passenger Services and lastly Returns on Investment," he added.

The Union Minister further stated that Prime Minister Modi has focused on a variety of programs that not only provide "inclusive and sustainable growth but make India a power to be reckoned with on an international stage."

"Taking digital technology to the remotest corners of this country within five years is certainly a programme that many found unfeasible. But dedicated focus and implementation have made this possible. I am delighted to share that Bihar is on the anvil of achieving electrification of every willing household before we get into the next financial year, we would have electricity reach every single home," Goyal said.

"The Railways is not only replacing Diesel engines and aiming for 100 percent electrification but will soon come out with a massive 20 Gigawatt renewable energy procurement programme by which we hope to have net zero carbon emissions from the Railways in 10 years," he added.