Question : Restructuring of Railways

(a) whether the panel set up under the NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy to suggest ways and means to restructure Indian railways system and improve its functioning, has submitted its report to the Government;

(b) if so, the details of the recommendations made by the panel;

(c) whether the panel has focused on privatisation of many services and if so, the details thereof;

(d) the present status of recommendations accepted/implemented by the Government; and

(e) the future plan chalked out by the Government keeping in view the recommendations of the panel?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a): Yes, Madam.

(b): The report contains various recommendations on reforms and restructuring including

• Railway Board to function like Corporate Board for IR.
• Reorganisation of Group ‘A’ services into two streams – Logistics and Technical.
• Empowerment of GMs & decentralization of powers to DRMs.
• Separation of off-line activities such as Medical, Schools & Security.
• Zonal Construction Organisations to be brought under one or more PSUs.
• Lateral inflow of talent from outside in technical and non-technical departments.
• A responsive and transparent Accounting and Costing system.
• Setting up of a Railway Regulatory Authority of India (RRAI) independent of MOR with powers and objective of Economic Regulation including tariff regulation, safety regulation, fair access regulation, service standard regulation, licensing/enhancing competition and setting technical standards.
• Discontinuation in phases, the separate Rail Budget.
• Subsidies to be borne by Union Government and cost of passenger concessions by respective Ministries.

(c): No, Madam.

(d) & (e): Recommendations of the committee pertaining to accounting reforms, empowerment of zones and divisions, integration of IT and cleaning initiatives and setting up of an investment advisory committee are already under implementation. However, recommendations such as organizational restructuring, setting up of regulator with over- arching powers require in depth examination and extensive consultations as their implementation would entail large scale changes in the existing systems.

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