A parliamentary committee, headed by Murli Manohar Joshi, has said it is in agreement with the Centre’s decision to merge the Railway and Union Budgets, but wants adequate time in Parliament for members to discuss railway proposals.
The thirty-one member Committee on Estimates’ report was tabled in Parliament on Friday. The panel stated Rail Budget’s proposals are discussed “threadbare” in Parliament and that should continue even after the merger.
The committee discussed the merger proposals with senior officials, including Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das and Rail Board Chairman A K Mittal.
The issues discussed included the financial independence of railways, elimination of annual dividends, and future debates on proposals. “The committee are sanguine that the working and finances of the Railways would continue to be discussed in the House for adequate duration, so that the rights of the Members to discuss the Railways Demands for Grants and to call the Railways to account are not infringed or diluted in any manner,” the panel said in its report.
The panel said it had full assurance from the government that the Railways would continue to function as a departmentally run-commercial undertaking, with full functional and financial autonomy.
 "MPs ok with merger of Budget with Railway Budget")
