NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Saturday ruled out `blind' privatisation in the organisation and said the Government preferred the public-private partnership route.

Delivering the keynote address at a conference on Building Infrastructure, he said: "Privatisation is not a solution for everything. I don't agree with this. We have allowed limited private participation in the Railways and this would be done in future too."

Manpower

Pointing out that the organisation had achieved a turnover of Rs.13,000 crore without retrenching even a single worker and raising passenger and freight fares, Mr. Prasad said: "We have to pay attention to manpower and ignoring them would encourage dissatisfaction."

He cautioned that India should not be allowed to become a consumer market for others (foreign investors) and said profit should not be the only motive for investment.

Presenting the "Vision 2015" he said, "keeping in view the requirements of Indian Railways, we have prepared a vision plan for the development of infrastructure, which needed an investment of Rs. 3.5 lakh crore in the next 10 years.

"We are still importing a number of railway goods. We have to stand on our own feet," he said and promised to fulfil his commitment to provide world-class amenities in Indian Railways. The Railways would pump in Rs.1,00,000 crore in the next five years on modernisation of railway signals, track and rolling stock, besides setting up retail outlets for agro products at 7,500 railway stations across the country through public-private-partnership.

The government would purchase milk, fruits, vegetables and other produce of the farmers through these outlets at reasonable prices and supply them to markets, even for exports, through air-conditioned containers, he said, indicating that the organisation's surplus land could be utilised for setting such agro hubs across the country.

Railway Board Chairman J.P. Batra, who showcased the Railways' developmental plans, said around Rs. 1,00,000 crore would be used to construct 11,500 km of DFC and Rs. 80,000 crore would be spent on renewing existing assets.

About Rs. 50,000 crore would be invested on the upgradation of feeder routes of DFC, port connectivity works and Rs. 25,000 crore on passenger and freight terminals.

The Ministry has planned to invest Rs. 20,000 crore on gauge conversion of 12,000 km, Rs. 15,000 crore on signal and telecom works, Rs. 5,000 crore on augmentation of manufacturing capacity for rolling stock and Rs. 55,000 crore for other works, the source said.

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