Railway minister Lalu Prasad has called upon zonal railways to make urgent efforts to bring traffic from road to rail for important commodities.
Addressing a meeting of general managers (GMs) of all zonal managers here on Monday, the minister said that there was a need to formulate different policies for carrying the raw material traffic and finished goods so that more traffic could be diverted from road to rail.
The minister said that GMs have been empowered to take all possible steps to popularize attractive schemes and incentives to get more and more traffic from road to rail. He urged them to continue vigorous efforts to meet the loading target of the current year, especially in cement and steel.
The minister said liberalization of container policy has created interest amongst private investors. He urged the GMs to help create rail connectivity to sidings so that the scheme could be implemented effectively.
Enhance rail capacity
He also said that GMs have to devote more attention to several schemes which have been launched to enhance rail capacity like rationalization of loco link, improvement in terminal facilities, computerization of guard’s and driver’s lobby, electrification of sidings etc.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of State for Railways R Velu pointed out some areas of concern, which require early action like cleanliness of trains and platforms, better passenger amenities and utilization of Special Railway Safety Fund.
The outgoing Railway Board chairman J P Batra said that Rail Coach Factory and Integral Coach factory should go for production of more Garib Rath type coaches.
LALU SLAMS BIHAR GOVERNMENT
Patna, pti: Expressing displeasure over alleged apathy of Bihar’s NDA government to tackle the flood and send relief to the victims, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Tuesday said he would undertake an aerial survey of flood-hit areas by an IAF chopper on Tuesday and submit a report to the Centre.
“It is an extremely serious matter that the state government is sitting idle when lakhs of people continue to reel under the impact of flood in 12 districts for the past one week,” Prasad told PTI. Prasad, also RJD president, took exception to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar going to Mauritius “turning a blind eye” to the devastation caused by the deluge.