Here is a counter-point Was Indian Railways a loss Making Organisation?
[Posted by Pritish Chandra Mazumdar. a retired Indian Railways Officer(IRSME)]
Now and then, particularly when Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav took over the Indian Railways charge as Railway Minister, some regional and national news paper started to propagate the incorrect message about Indian Railways buttering the minister concerned. Such latest news they published (Bengali and English news paper) is: Indian Railways were running on loss so far and Mr. Laloo made it profit maker with thousands of crores surplus. It is not understood where from this type of unauthentic information the news paper reporters got and what is the authorized source of generation of such desperate incorrect information.
Let us look back and just go through the statistical statements and financial accounts since 1950 to 1997 – 98. There was no year in the past since 1950 as the loosing year except in 1970 – 71 and 1980 – 81 when the losses were19.84 crores and 197.87 crores respectively and the operating ratio in 1970 – 71 and 1980 – 81 were 84.13% and 96.07% respectively. In the last four years from 1994 – 95, 1995 -96, 1996 – 97 and 1997 – 98 the excess were Rs 2,445.40 crores, Rs. 2,870.63 crores, Rs.2,117.06 crores and Rs. 1,535.22 crores respectively. These figures are available in the Annual Reports and Accounts of Indian Railways. It was also seen in the same report that in 1950 – 51 and 1960 – 61 the excess were Rs. 15.05 crores and Rs. 32.01 crores when operating ratio was 81.00% and 78.75% respectively.
I personally was involved directly with the railways for about 40 years and as such I got opportunity to share all ups and downs of the railways since 1964. But fortunately, I never saw minister like Mr. Laloo who increased expenditure desperately breaking all rules and policies of the railways like violation of reduction of manpower @ 3% per year, introducing free pass for traveling in trains to PORTERS who are not railway employees and take over-charges than that of actual rate of railways from every passengers taking their assistance for carrying luggage. Besides, additional recurring expenditure was forced upon the railways after creation of new seven railway zones for new infrastructure and additional posts of man power from General Manager to downwards, creating additional recruitment of Railway Protection Forces etc.
Over and above these huge additional expenditure, he did not raise passengers’ fare during his tenure of office. I travelled in trains and found that nothing passengers’ amenities and facilities were offered after his claim of huge surplus in revenues rather he introduced unhygienic earthen pot for tea and passengers drastically rejected those earthen pot. These earthen cups cost also more than conventional synthetic tea-cup and glass. From the above we can realize that Indian Railways were never running on loss except those two years mentioned above.
Then why reporters are buttering Mr. Laloo publishing incorrect information? This is a question of billion dollars These reporters never referred any authentic reference of railways except Ministers’ verbal press reporting –cum-advertisement with photo session posing as managent guru. What I feel is that actual financial health of Indian Railways will be unearthed after Laloo’s departure from Rail-Mnistership, if not another scam of fodder and other court cases during his Chief Ministership may engulf him. Thus the myth of loss making railway should happily be ignored as the reason might be the his political rival ex-rail minister. <!-- google_ad_section_end -->
Review on Indian Railways by pcmajumdar - MouthShut.com