The Hindu : National : White paper won’t target anyone: Mamata

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White paper won’t target anyone: Mamata

J. Balaji

It’s about new projects, policies & performance improvement

Group of experts
to be set up
Senior officials to monitor punctuality

NEW DELHI: The white paper proposed by the Railways will be released “as early as possible.” It is not against any individual. It will deal with the present state of the organisation, new projects, short-term and long-term policies and the steps needed to improve performance and infrastructure, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday.

The white paper, though in “black and white,” would have colourful ideas as the country was passing through a colourful era, she said replying to the two-day debate on the Railway budget in the Lok Sabha. “Everything is colourful now.”

Ms. Banerjee’s assurance comes in the wake of reports that she and the United Progressive Alliance government might use the white paper to settle scores with her predecessor, Lalu Prasad, for his election time utterances.

When Mr. Prasad intervened and said something, she said, “Laluji, I did not speak against you.”

Bringing out a white paper was not new; the former Railway Ministers, George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar, had brought out such documents to inform the public of their plans, she said. Like parents filling up the form for the education loan of their child even before it was born, she added.

In her 45-minute reply, Ms. Banerjee announced the setting up of a group of experts, led by Amit Mitra, secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to prepare a business plan to tone up the performance of the Railways, especially in project implementation through public-private partnership (PPP).

The group would have representatives from the chamber of commerce, besides the Member (Traffic) and the Member (Engineering) from the Railway Board. As for train delays, she said the Ministry would set up a core group of senior officials to monitor punctuality. Besides safety and security, cleanliness at stations and on trains and passenger amenities would be monitored by officials, who would be held accountable.

Catering services

Making clear that she was against outsourcing of catering services and sale of eatables at a high cost, Ms. Banerjee said she had ordered supply of janata food at cheaper prices. Catering services aboard the Rajdhani and Shatabdi expresses would be operated by the Railways themselves.

The Minister said not the entire railway land — more than three lakh acres — would be handed over to private bodies for development under the PPP model.

Some of the land would be given on a long lease, and the Railways would ensure that there was no fresh encroachment.

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