New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday taken up the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024 for discussion in the house.
The Bill aims to amend the Railways Act of 1989 to enhance the powers of the Railway Board and improve operational efficiency.
Moving the Bill, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, the Bill is intended to bring more efficiency in the Railways sector. He said, “In the last ten years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi there has been significant development and transformative changes in the Indian Railways.
Vaishnaw further added that ten years before the Budget of Railways was around Rs 29,000 crore and now it is 2,52,000 crore rupees. He said 44 thousand kilometres of the railway network were electrified in the past 10 years.
Congress MP Manoj Kumar began the discussion, which is underway in Lok Sabha.
Speaking on the Bill, Manoj Kumar of Congress expressed apprehensions that the Bill will open up Railways to privatisation. He also raised the issue of high ticket fares in Vande Bharat trains.
Ravi Kishan of BJP highlighted the achievements of Railways under the Modi Government. He said the corruption-ridden image of the Railways has been reformed since 2014. Neeraj Maurya of Samajwadi party also spoke on the Bill.
UNI
