New Delhi, Mar 17 (ANI): Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session of the Parliament, in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI Photo/Sansad TV)
| Photo Credit: ANI
The allocation for Railways has increased to ₹2.5 lakh crore from ₹25,000 crore in the past 10 years, and the sector has come out of the difficulties it had faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
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Replying to a debate on the workings of the Railway Ministry, he said that the Railways was fulfilling its expenses from its own income because of the good performance. Listing out the numbers, he said the revenue for 2023-24 had been ₹2.78 lakh crore, while expenses had been around ₹2.75 lakh crore. Expenses included staff costs of around ₹1.16 lakh crore, pension payments of around ₹66,000 crore, power bill of around ₹32,000 crore and financing cost of ₹25,000 crore, he said.
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“Overall, the financial condition is good and we are trying to improve it on a constant basis,” Mr. Vaishnaw said, adding that the subsidises for passengers, for providing stable rail fares, have also increased.
Cargo charges have also helped meet the needs of passenger subsidies, he said. “If you look at a journey of 350 km, ₹121 is the fare of general class in India, ₹400 in Pakistan, ₹413 in Sri Lanka. This is the same in almost all categories,” he said, adding that the Centre is focussing on safety too. He said Linke-Hofmann-Busch coaches (LHC) were being used to replace the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches. The Minister announced that approximately 1,400 locomotives will be manufactured this year, and noted that India has begun exporting metro coaches.
Responding to Opposition charges about recruitment being stagnant, the Minister said that five lakh people were employed by the Railways in the past 10 years and that recruitment process was currently under way for one lakh vacancies. During the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, only four lakh people had gotten jobs with the Railways, he added.
“Many members have raised that there has been no recruitment. How can anyone say that? I fail to understand. How can a member state such misleading facts which are very far from truth in the House?” Mr. Vaishnaw said.
Opposition mounts criticism
Opposition members had also criticised the way safety and passenger facilities were being handled by the Railways. Left MP A.A. Rahim said lack of adequate appointments was directly linked to the safety in Railways.
Meanwhile, participating in the Lok Sabha debate on the Demands for Grants under the control of the Ministry of Railways for 2025-26, Congress’s Varsha Gaikwad said that making Instagram Reels would not help the Indian Railways as it was on a “ventilator” because of poor management. She allegedly questioned the Railway Minister still holding office despite a series of accidents under his watch.
Stating that the Railway budget was a “failed buget” and not a “record-breaking” measure, she wondered whether the Railways like all profit-making public entities would also land up with the mitra [friends] of the ruling dispensation.
Trinamool Congress MP Satabdi Roy said no amount of compensation would bring back those killed in rail accidents.
Her colleague ad senior Trinamool member Kalyan Banerjee said the allocation for passenger amenities has been falling and pointed out that the Comptroller and Auditor General has raised concerns over poor hygiene and the quality of food served by the railways.
Both Mr. Banerjee and Congress’s Karti Chidambaram also raised the issue of stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station during the Maha Kumbh.
DMK MP Murasoli S. urged the government to appoint persons speaking the language of the respective States at railway stations and ticket counters. He said commuters in Tamil Nadu, especially in the villages, face difficulty in communicating with the railway officials.
The debate on Demands for Grants on Railways continued until 11 p.m. in the Lok Sabha.
Published – March 18, 2025 12:23 am IST
