The Standing Committee noted that the changes in the

safety codes were implemented without consultation with CRS. As such any change in rules or standards by the Railways needs the concurrence of Civil Aviation Ministry also also, it said. The committee has demanded that the Railway Act should adequately be defined to demarcate the functions of the Railway Ministry and the Civil Aviation Ministry to avoid any confusion in respect of powers, mandate and autonomous working of CRS between the two ministries. Civil Aviation Ministry had prepared a draft Commission of Railway Safety Bill which did not find favour with the Railways and eventually the proposal was dropped in 2010. The committee said it has found that existing system in which CRS has to function, leaves much to be desired. CRS has to work under lot of limitations and has to depend for so many things on the Railways that it is not able to execise, in actual practice, even those powers that are available to it in Railway Act and the rules made thereunder, it said. "Its autonomy is thus, greatly impaired," the committee observed. Civil Aviation Ministry has just provided office space to CRS and all functions are provided by the Railways, it said. The report said CRS was not having much say in the monitoring of railway safety presently in the country except accident investigation and inspection of new lines before they were commissioned. CRS is not having any power to carry out annual audit of safety parametres of Indian Railways, it observed. The committee emphasised that CRS should be strengthened with required powers and autonomy for the betterment of railway safety in the country.