Finance ministry rejects railways' request to bear pension expenses

Reminds national transporter of its autonomy; asks it to rationalise freight

The finance ministry is not keen on bearing the pension liabilities of the Railways for the current fiscal year, as it feels the department is autonomous and should take corrective measures to generate resources.
 

Hit by a fall in revenue from freight and passenger traffic because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Railways had approached the finance ministry requesting it to bear the pension liabilities for the current fiscal year.
 

“You (the Railways) cannot have both things — autonomy and shifting of pension liability to us. Everything comes in a package,” a key finance ministry source said.
 

He said Railways projects