Opposition warns Govt against privatisation of railways

Several opposition parties on Thursday spoke against any move to privatise railways and asked the government to revert to the presentation of a separate rail budget in Parliament so that it could get adequate attention.

Some opposition members, including Supriya Sule of the NCP and Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena, acknowledged that railway stations have become cleaner.

Participating in a discussion on demands for grants of the Ministry of Railways in Lok Sabha, M K Raghavan (Congress) said the BJP government has shown consistent apathy towards railways in the last five years and the dismal performance is visible in the high operating ratio, which is the worst in last 10 years.

"Railways is a services sector. BJP is unaware of reasons for establishment of railways. Railway is not an engine to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, it is for poor man's service," he said.

Raghavan said the focus of the Union Budget on railways is cursory and reveals neglect. There is a drive to sell off public assets and a colossal failure in its management, he said.

"This Budget is a call for privatisation and eventual selling off of railways which is the lifeline of Indian people," he said.

S S Palanimanickam (DMK) said the BJP government is moving towards privatisation of railways.

"Air India is on verge of privatisation, land and sea transports have already been privatised. I suggest just give up the idea of privatisation of railways," he said.

Palanimanickam said there should be separate Budget which will encourage the Rail Ministry to discuss demands of various railway zones.

"Earlier there was separate budget for all zones. The rail minister used to hold meeting with MPs to know demands of zones, but now no such meetings take place," he said.

The government had merged Railway Budget with General Budget from 2017-18 onwards, ending a 92-year-old practice of a separate budget for the country's largest transporter.

The presentation of separate railway budget started in 1924, and had continued even after Independence as a convention rather than under constitutional provisions.

Noting that railways is now appointing only contractual labourers, Palanimanickam said, "If you have the mindset to privatise, how can you save railways?"