Central funds to railways see a steady decline
Budgetary support from the general exchequer to the plan outlay of the railways has progressively declined from 75% in the 1950s to 23% currently.
By TNN |
KOLKATA: Budgetary support from the general exchequer to the plan outlay of the railways has progressively declined from 75% in the 1950s to 23% currently. Against this backdrop , the railways should concentrate on earning more revenue from freight traffic to shore up its overall revenue generation to finance its expenditure. ���This is the crux of the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on railways,��� indicated committee chairman Basudeb Acharia, who is also an MP from Bankura, West Bengal.
Mr Acharia added, ���Giving due importance to increasing revenue earnings from freight traffic, the committee, while holding a series of pre-budget consultations with the railways ministry, had recommended a freight loading target of 900 million tonne for 2008-09 . This in effect had been finally fixed at 850 million tonne in the 2008-09 budget.��� To achieve a higher freight loading target, the committee, among others, had suggested that the ministry take effective measures to increase the average speed of wagon movement from the existing 26 km/hour. If the average speed of freight movement can be increased by another 10 km per hour, it would release more freight loading capacity, feels Mr Acharia.
Mr Acharia added, ���Giving due importance to increasing revenue earnings from freight traffic, the committee, while holding a series of pre-budget consultations with the railways ministry, had recommended a freight loading target of 900 million tonne for 2008-09 . This in effect had been finally fixed at 850 million tonne in the 2008-09 budget.��� To achieve a higher freight loading target, the committee, among others, had suggested that the ministry take effective measures to increase the average speed of wagon movement from the existing 26 km/hour. If the average speed of freight movement can be increased by another 10 km per hour, it would release more freight loading capacity, feels Mr Acharia.
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