<p>Assuming charge of the Railway Ministry, Mallikarjun Kharge today said he would hold a discussion with officials on issues being faced by the national transporter before deciding on priorities.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"I will discuss the issues and then I will have to decide on priorities," Kharge said after assuming charge at Rail Bhawan.<br /><br />Asked about his priorities, he said, "Unless I talk to them (officers) and discuss the issues I will not comment."<br /><br />Kharge, an MP from Gulbarga constituency in Karnataka, is the sixth Railway Minister in the last four years.<br /><br />His immediate predecessor Pawan Kumar Bansal had to quit last month in the wake of cash-for-post scam in railways.<br /><br />Asked about the vacancies in the Railway Board, Kharge said, "All these things are there. I will discuss with them (officers) as to what can be done within a shortspan of time."<br /><br />Though he was given the responsibility of railways day before yesterday, the Karnataka Congress veteran took charge today.<br /><br />Railways have to show some urgency in shortlisting the possible names for the key posts in Railway Board and submit them to the DoPT for consideration.<br /><br />Currently, Member Staff Mahesh Kumar is behind the bars and under suspension as he is accused of bribing Vijay Singla, nephew of former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, for a top post in Railways.<br /><br />Besides, the post of Member Traffic is vacant while Chairman Railway Board Vinay Mittal and Financial Commissioner Vijaykanth are retiring on June 30.<br /><br />Besides filling up vacant posts, he has to decide on the constitution of the long-pending Rail Tariff Authority also.</p>
<p>Assuming charge of the Railway Ministry, Mallikarjun Kharge today said he would hold a discussion with officials on issues being faced by the national transporter before deciding on priorities.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"I will discuss the issues and then I will have to decide on priorities," Kharge said after assuming charge at Rail Bhawan.<br /><br />Asked about his priorities, he said, "Unless I talk to them (officers) and discuss the issues I will not comment."<br /><br />Kharge, an MP from Gulbarga constituency in Karnataka, is the sixth Railway Minister in the last four years.<br /><br />His immediate predecessor Pawan Kumar Bansal had to quit last month in the wake of cash-for-post scam in railways.<br /><br />Asked about the vacancies in the Railway Board, Kharge said, "All these things are there. I will discuss with them (officers) as to what can be done within a shortspan of time."<br /><br />Though he was given the responsibility of railways day before yesterday, the Karnataka Congress veteran took charge today.<br /><br />Railways have to show some urgency in shortlisting the possible names for the key posts in Railway Board and submit them to the DoPT for consideration.<br /><br />Currently, Member Staff Mahesh Kumar is behind the bars and under suspension as he is accused of bribing Vijay Singla, nephew of former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, for a top post in Railways.<br /><br />Besides, the post of Member Traffic is vacant while Chairman Railway Board Vinay Mittal and Financial Commissioner Vijaykanth are retiring on June 30.<br /><br />Besides filling up vacant posts, he has to decide on the constitution of the long-pending Rail Tariff Authority also.</p>