While accepting that the Indian Railways needs reforms, five railway federations and associations, representing 13 lakh employees, have termed some suggestions by the Bibek Debroy committee as “unacceptable” and aimed at helping the “growth and profit of private players”. They, however, welcomed some “positive” recommendations.
In a joint response to the Bibek Debroy panel report on Railway restructuring, submitted to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday, the federations urged him to ensure that the suggestions do not “destroy the basic fabric” of the “successful” organisation in the name of reforms, lest it boomerangs like the British Railways.
“We are pained to find that the committee’s main concern seems to be the growth and profit of private players, even if it is at the cost of Indian railways and the nation,” said the joint statement released by the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR), adding that the Railways performance had been “stellar” despite bearing a heavy subsidy burden.
The federations also expressed “distress” at the committee’s “total lack of faith” in the Railways Board, as is evident from its “insistence on keeping the Ministry of Railways away from implementation of decisions.”
Among the key proposals rejected by the federations are eventual corporatisation of Railways, creation of a super authority above the Ministry, separation of Ministry and Board, privatisation of security among others.
Calling for arriving at a consensus only after a “threadbare” debate on the report by all stakeholders, the statement said all the federations will submit individual responses to the Railway Minister.
On the positive side, the federations welcomed suggestions on accounting reforms, decentralisation and empowerment of zonal railways and station re-development, among others.
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