Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said a total subsidy of Rs 56,993 crore is given every year to all categories of passengers, with a 46 per cent rebate on every ticket.
“The total subsidy provided by the Government of India for all passengers travelling on Indian Railways is Rs 56,993 crore. When the cost of providing the service is Rs 100, the ticket charge is Rs 54, which amounts to 46 per cent subsidy for every passenger travelling, which includes all the categories…” the railways minister said during Question Hour in Lok Sabha.
"Replying to another question on rapid train service, he said the railways has already started such a service -- Namo Bharat Rapid Rail between Bhuj and Ahmedabad and the satisfaction level of passengers is extremely high due to its superior service, he said.
Meanwhile, Opposition members said the government should not privatise Indian Railways as it will hurt the interest of poor people and demanded that concession for senior citizens be restored.
Participating in the debate on the Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Lok Sabha, Neeraj Maurya (SP) said the government should have sent this bill to an all-party committee for deliberation.
Moving the Bill for discussion, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the efficiency of Indian Railways will improve with the passage of the bill.
Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 bill proposes to simplify the legal framework by incorporating the proposals of the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905 in the Railways Act, 1989. This will reduce the need to refer to two laws.
Vaishnaw said the number of rail accidents has come down from 171 during the UPA regime to 40 in 2023-24. In the current fiscal, 29 rail accidents have taken place so far.
The rail budget has been hiked from Rs 29,000 crore in 2014 to Rs 2.52 lakh crore, the minister said.