The Indian Railways is all on its peak whether it be the operations, facilities or infrastructure development these days. Skeptics signalled this as a yet another step by the government to privatise the world’s largest rail network department. However quashing all the possibilities and rumours Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified his stance by stating that the government has no thoughts for involving private players in the smooth running network. This applies not just for the current scenario but also in near future the Indian railways won’t be privatised and the government won’t take any steps to do so.
No Privatisation For Indian Railways
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw quashed all rumours of privatisation of Indian Railways. Vaishnaw said that the iconic national transporter will not be privatised, adding that such a move would not happen in the future also. Speaking on the sidelines of a media event, the minister said that the Centre is not working on any privatisation plan for Indian Railways. He added that Railways is a huge and complex system.
Moreover, he listened to the direct feedback from passengers and tea stall vendors. He said that the feedback was valuable and appreciated. He was speaking at a news India Chaupal event. However, this isn’t the first time when a Railways Minister had denied plans related to the privatisation of Indian Railways. Previously, his predecessor Piyush Goyal had also made it very clear that the carrier would never go into private hands.
Ashwini Vaishnaw Glorifying This Complex Network
“I assure you that the Railways is India’s property and it will be never privatised. It is a property of every Indian and will remain so,” Goyal had said. He, however, wasn’t shy to propose that private investment could make the functioning of Indian Railways efficient.
Earlier on Wednesday (December 1), Vaishnaw, who is also union minister for IT, said that the electronics manufacturing industry’s commitment and assurance to drive USD 300 billion revenue by 2025-26 offers “great confidence”.
