R. G. Pillai, Ex Joint General Secretary, Dakshin Railway Employees Union (DREU)
This year’s budget speech of Shrimathi Nirmala Seetharaman cleverly avoids any mention of Railways. It has been the practice, ever since British colonial rulers introduced the Rail Budget in1924 for the people of India to eagerly wait for the Rail Budget day, for knowing everything about the railway plan including new trains, newlines, other projects, etc. The parliament members were very much interested in participating in rail budget discussions.
As Modi Sarkar embarked on a different track of curtailing the functioning of democratic institutions, they have stopped the 93 year old practice of a separate rail budget. It was arbitrarily abandoned from 2017. But there used to be a brief mention of the projects in the budget speech. Now even that is given a go bye. This is a blatant violation of the peoples’ right to know from the finance minister about the main transportation mode of the ordinary people, especially the toiling masses who sweat their blood for the nation at meagre wages far away from their home.
This has made the demand for restoration of the separate rail budget more relevant.
Going into the budget allocation even proportionate increase for the inflation effect is not provided and such existing projects itself will drag on with cost escalation. Further, no announcement of new projects such as new lines, coach factories, loco factories, workshops, etc.
Regarding this, Kerala was waiting since 2008 for a coach factory at Kanjikkode which was sanctioned as a compensation for bifurcation of erstwhile Palakkad division. Further, the fate of Sabari rail line, 3rd and 4th line, between Ernakulam and Mangalore are not yet revealed.
Another surprise is that the economic survey is preaching about the ill effects of long working hours, and unhealthy working conditions and its adverse effect on productivity. But the Modi government does not fill up 4 lakh vacancies in the Indian Railways, including safety category jobs like loco pilots and does not create any new posts for additional trains and other assets, thereby necessitating the staff to overwork. At times, this leads to human failure.
Further 7 lakh contract workers engaged in Indian Railways are denied equal pay for equal work despite repeated judgements from Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in that whether casual or contract they are eligible for equal pay as permanent employees without discrimination.
The budget proposals declare the resolve of the government to go ahead with railway privatisation which has to be resisted at any cost.
In this context it is pertinent to note that only a few days ago the British Railway completed the re-nationalisation of its passenger services after decades of turmoil due to privatisation.
Budget proposes monetisation of assets including Railways for Rs 10 lakh rupees crores in the next 5 years.
It is also noteworthy to listen to the oft repeated advise in the economic survey “Government should vacate or get out of Public Sector enterprises” whereas the proponents of globalisation including USA are making a grand retreat in this regard.
Hence people, irrespective of all other differences should join together and resist the anti -people anti -worker retrograde budget and privatisation proposals of Modi.3 government.
Let us fight and win to build a better future.