Lalu Prasad may have done wonders with Indian Railways during his stint at Rail Bhawan – thanks in parts to some smart thinking, some sheer luck and an imaginative PR machinery. But somewhere along the line, amidst all the attention he conjured up, Prasad ended up significantly debilitating railways? basic functions?on-board catering, availability of drinking water at stations, the punctuality of and the cleanliness within trains.
The new railway minister Mamata Banerjee has said that improving such passenger amenities would be high on her agenda. She has also promised to revoke the perverse but lucrative system of ?tatkal? bookings currently in place. Lalu?s farewell gift of free lifetime railway passes for himself and his predecessors, controversially cleared after the Lok Sabha results were out, is under Didi?s scanner, too.
Revenues dipping in line with economic growth may have spurred Banerjee to dwell on passenger amenities rather than fare cuts. But going by her stint as the NDA?s railway minister from 1999 to 2001, passenger comforts have always been her priority. Her key initiatives then included introducing automated teller machines and ?pay and use? toilets at railway stations, computerised ticket reservations and better catering services.
This time around, though, Mamata needs to think beyond good optics, especially because Rail Bhawan?s previous occupant has left a number of big-ticket projects in suspended animation. Prasad announced the dedicated freight corridor, railway production units and bullet trains to spruce up the century-old railway infrastructure, but conveniently forgot to tie up funding for them.
The result?despite a lot of groundwork, cabinet clearances, feasibility surveys, land acquisitions, et al, none of these ambitious projects, that envisage investments of over Rs 70,000 crore, are ready to be executed.
If the country?s largest employer wants its creaking infrastructure to mirror its profitable image, it has to secure funding for these projects urgently.
While Lalu Prasad will be remembered for turning around the Railways? finances, Didi has the chance to do much more.
surabhi.prasad@expressindia.com