V
V.Balasubramani
Guest
Railway Minister deserves credit for a stellar performance
In the history of Indian railway budgets, Suresh Prabhu will perhaps be the first railway minister not to have announced either a single new train or a new railway line, notes A K Bhattacharya.
Suresh Prabhu, a recent entrant to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is yet to complete a year as the railway minister in the Narendra Modi government.
But in the period he has been at the helm at Rail Bhavan, he has managed to stay in the news - mostly for good reasons and of late for reasons he may not be very happy about.
His maiden railway budget had a string of creditable firsts to it. In the history of Indian railway budgets, he will perhaps be the first railway minister not to have announced either a single new train or a new railway line.
That must have taken a lot of courage. What he spurned as the railway minister was a political opportunity to nurture his or his party’s vote bank by showering goodies — one new train to connect his own constituency or a new railway track for the constituency of his boss.
He did nothing of that sort either for himself or for his boss and none for anybody else.
What he did instead was vitally important for the long-term health and viability of the Indian Railways.
Read more at: http://www.rediff.com/business/repo...credit-for-a-stellar-performance/20150930.htm
In the history of Indian railway budgets, Suresh Prabhu will perhaps be the first railway minister not to have announced either a single new train or a new railway line, notes A K Bhattacharya.
Suresh Prabhu, a recent entrant to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is yet to complete a year as the railway minister in the Narendra Modi government.
But in the period he has been at the helm at Rail Bhavan, he has managed to stay in the news - mostly for good reasons and of late for reasons he may not be very happy about.
His maiden railway budget had a string of creditable firsts to it. In the history of Indian railway budgets, he will perhaps be the first railway minister not to have announced either a single new train or a new railway line.
That must have taken a lot of courage. What he spurned as the railway minister was a political opportunity to nurture his or his party’s vote bank by showering goodies — one new train to connect his own constituency or a new railway track for the constituency of his boss.
He did nothing of that sort either for himself or for his boss and none for anybody else.
What he did instead was vitally important for the long-term health and viability of the Indian Railways.
Read more at: http://www.rediff.com/business/repo...credit-for-a-stellar-performance/20150930.htm
