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Share• We want to promote sports and cultural activities among the Railway persons. I appreciate all railway sports persons who participated in national and international events. Sports persons will get their share in recruitment.
Optic Fibre Cable
33. Madam, I had announced in 2001-02 Railway Budget laying of Optic Fibre Cable network along Railway track for commercial utilization. After 8 years, I find little progress. Hence Madam, I propose to constitute an expert committee, headed by Shri Sam Pitroda, the key person behind the telecommunication revolution in our country. The Committee will suggest further innovations, to utilize the optic fiber cables network of the railway and take information technology to the door steps in remote areas.
Wagons
34. During the year 2009-10 Railways have planned to acquire 18,000 wagons under rolling stock programme as against 11,000 wagons in 2008-09. There is a growing demand of wagons in Railways. We propose to initiate the process for taking over wagon units of Burn Standard. A dialogue has already been started with concerned Ministries for waiver of accumulated liabilities. Efforts will be made to complete all action at the earliest as the units are PSU s under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
Production Units.
35. The Production Units of Indian Railways have performed well in 2008-09, with many units setting new records of production and productivity.
• Rail Coach Factory/Kapurthala manufactured 1558 coaches including 121 stainless steel coaches of new LHB design. The target for 2009-10 is 1562 coaches.
• Integral Coach Factory/Chennai turned out 1337 coaches. The target for 2009-10 is 1433 coaches.
• Diesel Locomotive Works/Varanasi manufactured 257 locomotives in 2008-09. The target for 2009-10 is 250 locomotives with a substantial increase in the number of high horse power locomotives to 150.
• Chittaranjan Locomotive Works manufactured 220 locomotives, the highest ever, including 54 3-phase high horse power locomotives. The target for 2009-10 is 250 locomotives.
• Rail Wheel Factory/Bangalore achieved a quantum jump in wheel production of 35% over 2007-08 by producing 1,96,261 wheels in the year 2008-09. The production target for 2009-10 is 2,00,000 wheels.
• Diesel Modernization Works (DMW) is upgrading the existing fleet of Diesel Locomotives from existing 2600 HP to 3100 HP and 3300 HP Diesel locomotives.
Railway Workshops to be reorganised on business lines
36. A business plan will be drawn up to improve overall efficiency and reduction in unit costs of our workshops. This will be initiated at Golden Rock, Parel, Ajmer and Kharagpur workshops.
Railway Printing Presses
37. Madam, the Printing Presses of the Railways have long been neglected and have been deemed to be a non-productive asset. It is my belief that if we take up a few major presses like Mumbai (Byculla), Delhi (Shakurbasti), Kolkata (Howrah) and Chennai, for upgradation and modernization, it would not only be cost effective but may also release surplus space for ancillary development and commercial purposes. I have asked for review of the policy in this regard. I am also aware of heritage institutions like
Basumati Sahitya Mandir, a State Public Undertaking in West Bengal, which unfortunately is lying unutilized for the last two years. This great institution played a vital role in our freedom movement and is associated with eminent and historic personalities like the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Rishi Aurobindo, Netaji Subhash Chander Bose, Sri Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. I would be happy to takeover this institution if the State Government hands it over to the Railways.
Public Sector Undertakings- our PSUs are doing well.
38. During the year 2007-08 all the ten Public Sector Undertakings under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways have performed well and achieved a combined turnover of Rs. 11,880 crore and earned a net profit of Rs.1,950 crore. A total dividend payment of Rs. 261 crores has been made to Railways.
Freight Business
39. Several measures are being taken to improve the proportion of freight traffic moving on Railways.
• Besides improving the loading of coal, iron ore, cement, fertilizers and food grains, Railways are seeking to increase their share in new traffic streams like automobiles, fly ash etc.
• Permission to access private sidings will be given to containers which will help in attracting piecemeal traffic presently not being carried by Railways.
• A premium service for container movement with assured transit time is being considered for time sensitive cargo.
• Private ownership of special purpose rolling stock for commodities and private operation of freight terminals will be encouraged.
• A new policy would be unveiled to allow construction and operation of private freight terminals and multi-modal logistic parks.
• Railways are also in the process of bringing together state governments and major logistics players to set up logistics parks co-habited by multiple players through participative funding.
