March 16, 2020
Derek O’Brien initiates a discussion on the working of Ministry of Railways
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Sir, Railway Budget a Satyajit Ray’s film Pather Panchali, the first of the Apu Trilogy, is considered to be a turning point in Indian cinema. One of the defining scenes of the film is Apu and Durga running through a field of ‘kashphool’ to watch an oncoming train. It was a magical sight, Sir.
The train encapsulates the hopes and aspirations of the poorest of the poor. It becomes a symbol for a better future, a future of untold possibilities. A symbol of progress which can uplift the entire nation. In a way, it is linked to the spirit of the Indian Railways.
Sir, that scene was in 1955, and 65-70 years down the line, there is another defining visual, at least last year. For today’s generation the defining visual of the Railways is a tweet by the Railway Minister where he posted a video of Vande Bharat express calling it lightning fast. Then later it is realised that actually the train is not going at lightning speed, that video has been speeded up to look fifty times more than what it is. What is the reality? The reality is this.
1. Where is the Railway Budget?
A) Tradition overturned by BJP after 92 years in 2017. So as a result we have not had a Railway Budget for the last three years. Is there enough Transparency?
B) Cooking the books: Railway Minister is an accomplished CA. I have few chartered accountant friends. I tell them, they are cooks. Because they have to cook up the numbers of the books.
Sir, in the spirit, it is good when we say on a light hearted note, and actually the minister can also smile. Because not only is he a Railway Minister and an accomplished chartered accountant, he is also the last mentioned treasurer of the largest political party of the world. That itself is an achievement.
Sir, look at these numbers:
(I know i shouldn’t be talking to a chartered accountant but this is well researched )
– Total working expenditure: +32% since 2014-15, where it actually should be coming down.
– Net Revenue Receipts: -78% since 2014-15
– Revenue deficit: Down Rs 25000 crore
Since the Railways Budget and the General Budget got amalgamated, the people of India must know that the Railways used to pay a dividend of Rs 7000 or Rs 8000 crore every year to the Government of India. Ab GOI ko dena nahi hota hain, woh log, GOI, khud yeh paisa rakhta hain.
C) 6 years of neglect of freight operations
I want to make one point about freight. The growth of freight has always been tepid, around one per cent (except one year in 2018). Before 2014 this growth of freight was four per cent. What has happened in the last six years?
You have lost short-distance passengers to Volvo buses and long-distance passengers to private airlines. What are you doing wrong, because of which from four per cent you are down to one per cent? Freight is the dal-roti of the Indian Railways.
D) GOI: Government of Gimmicks
Sir, Lots of gimmicks. The Minister also came up with a gimmick – what was that? I do not want to spend time on gimmicks, where you stand outside a platform you go up and down for a platform ticket. We need a solution, we do not need gimmicks
But, I do not blame the Minister because the gimmicks come from the top where on Women’s Day you give your twitter handle away. Do not give twitter handle away and your facebook away; bring 33 per cent women to Parliament, that is a better way to do it.
2. Operating Ratio (OR)
Sir, as we learned in school, whenever you get high number it is very very good, but in the railway it is wrong.
For every 100 rupees you earn, how much do you spend? It used to be 90, now 95 and now for every 100 rupees the railways earn, it spends 110, that is the official figure. I do not know whether it is 130 or, 140 rupees. That is the situation, Sir.
3. Privatisation of the Indian Railways:
Let the Minister after the discussion clarify that there will be no privatisation of the Railways, on the floor of the House. Because I think the new campaign is Sell India.
BJP is on a spree to sell all of India’s jewels, everything – PSUs, Air India, LIC. You took Rs 60,000 crore from LIC. Please tell us, at the end of this discussion, how the Rs 60,000 crore was used. Please tell us.
Now, all the states can look at these numbers – from LIC to BPCL and various other PSUs.
4A. Bengal Deprived
আমি একটা রাজ্যের কথা বলবো, আমি বাংলার কথা বলবো।
মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় যখন ভারতবর্ষের রেলমন্ত্রী ছিলেন তখন অনেক নতুন আইডিয়া এনেছেন। ১০ বছর ধরে বাংলায় অনেক প্রকল্প এসেছে, তাই আমরা বলতে পারি ‘বাংলার গর্ব মমতা’। না, আমি বলবো ভারতের গর্ব।
আর এখন বিজেপি নির্লজ্জভাবে বাংলাকে বঞ্চিত করছে। আমি একটা উদাহরণ দিচ্ছি – প্রধানমন্ত্রী বলেন উনি রামকৃষ্ণের বড় ভক্ত। ভালো কথা।
বাংলার ৬ টি রেল প্রকল্পে কেন্দ্রের বরাদ্দঃ
- তারকেশ্বর – জয়রামবাটি – ১০০০ টাকা
- দীঘা – জলেশ্বর – ১০০০ টাকা
- কালিয়াগঞ্জ – বুনিয়াদপুর = ১০০০ টাকা
- ইরফালা – ঘাটাল = ১০০০ টাকা
- আরামবাগ – চাঁপাডাঙা = ১০০০ টাকা
- বিষ্ণুপুর – উপরশোল = ১০০০ টাকা
- মায়াপুর – কামারপুকুর = ১০০০ টাকা
সব প্রকল্পের জন্য ১০০০ টাকা। বাংলা আপনার থেকে ভিক্ষা চায় না। আর তারপর আমাদের শোনাবে, না না না।
4B. জমি অধিগ্রহণঃ
এই বিষয়ে তৃণমূলকে শেখাবেন না। ২৬ দিনে অনশনে বসুন। We will not allow land to be grabbed from the farmers. That’s why Mamata Banerjee sat on a 26 days’ hunger strike. We will cooperate with you.
The East-West metro corridor was opened recently. The State Govt helped you. You had a grand inauguration ceremony. You talk about cooperative federalism. You did not have the courtesy to invite the Chief Minister of Bengal to that inauguration. Why? She is your political opponent. Okay, do not invite her because you are scared. At least invite the local MP.
Now, in the reply I do not want to hear how much money was given to Bengal for the projects. No, you tell me in your reply, not only my state, but for every state. Look at Delhi, Kerala, Maharashtra, non-BJP States. See the percentage which has been given to those states.
5. Bullet Train
Now let us get on to one word, we are not hearing about now ‘Notebandi’, remember that other word? ‘Bullet Train’.
Let me tell you about the ‘Bullet Train’, no rhetoric, hard numbers.
A) India needs to know, to build one km of the bullet train project costs Rs 180 crore. Listen, we want technology. We want India to … But is it the priority when 180 crore to build that dedicated corridor, It cost 24 crore a km. You tell me 24 crore a km, 180 crore a km Bombay – Ahmedabad, which is more important? Especially when we are running a bankrupt organisation. That is the story.
B) Bullet Train you told us, it will be completed by 2022 or 2024. Let the Minister give us a year as to when the Bullet Train will be completed. Give us a year and don’t blame the state government now because in Maharashtra, Pawar uncle is there, so things have got difficult. No.
Then you come to some other points. For this, I want you to go back to the Vision 2020 document which has been written in 2009. That time Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister. You built on 2-3 points arising on the Vision 2020 document.
6. Bio-toilets:
We are not just here to criticise, yes you have followed the Vision 2020 document and you have done some progress on the bio-toilets. May be not enough, but slowly we all get that.
7. Electrification of Railways
Again you gave us a date. Target of electrification by 2023. Minister, how will you reach this target by 2023? You required 10,000 km annually. You achieved 3,000 km last year. You have targeted 6,000 km this year. So, when will you reach it?
And the third thing from the Vision 2020 document the railways also have a larger picture. It is a small thing, I know we say sport is not important. In India we have a great history of railways encouraging sport. Do what you can because the Railway has social responsibility and has economic viability. And these two things have to go together.
8. Vacancies in Indian Railways
Sir, as I reach towards the final two stations of my speech, let me come to another important part of the Railways. We have spoken about the Budget, we have spoken about all the false promises they have made, how the States, like Bengal and other States, have been deprived.
Now let’s come to people, because it’s the people who are the heart of the Indian Railways. The railways has a huge staff, what are you doing for them?
Please give us an update of the 2.8 lakh vacancies. There has been little progress there. What about the other vacancies? Tell us at the end of this debate. When are you going to finish this? As you know, this Government has another great achievement. They have brought us the highest unemployment in 45 years.
9. Merger of the Railway services
Sir, there is a proposal. Today is a good day for the Minister to clarify. I speak on behalf of many hundreds and thousands from the railways about the merger of the Railway services. What are you doing Sir? Have you thought this out?
Indian Railway Management Services (IRMS) ek saath ikattha kar rahe hai. Hum logon ka sujhav hai, administrative karo aur technical karo. Everybody is not like a chartered accountant. You have electrical engineers who are handling finances. There are a lot of officers and people in the railways who don’t know what is going on.
In fact in an administrative way, the railways is polarised, in terms of technical and non-technical. Minister, Sir through you, I request you to please look in deeply and talk to the railway family before you make this decision.
Conclusion
Sir my last stop before I conclude. It is always a pleasure for the last 10 years. Thanks to my party, the All India Trinamool Congress, and Mamata Di, I have always got a chance to work closely with, and then speak on the railways, because one has been associated with the railways not only from my party, but from a personal way.
Sir, my mother’s family – my mamas (my mother had seven brothers) – all of them worked in the Railways. Now many of them have passed on, their sons are doing very well, but my mama’s all worked on the Railways. In fact, of all these jobs which are now going, the lowest category is the ‘D’ category. Many of them worked in the ‘D’ category – they were pushing the trolley and carrying the things, you know. I am saying this with a lot of pride and my family is proud that we actually made this contribution. I am not saying this with a defensive (attitude).
I want to leave the thought here, today. When the Minister replies to all this, forget the family with the D. There are a lot of Indian citizens, Sir, who are also worried, and are in the ‘D’ (doubtful citizen) category. The Railway Minister may not be able to clarify this. But the BJP, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, must come and tell us on the floor of the House that NRC, NPR, CAA and D category is also part of the Indian family.
Thank you, Sir. Thank you very much.
