New railway minister promises to focus on safety

The National Democratic Alliance government’s new Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who assumed charge on Monday, promised all-round development of the national transporter with a special focus on safety and customer satisfaction.

Prabhu, who broke his 18-year tie with the Shiv Sena to join the Bharatiya Janata Party before being sworn in, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted the railways’ condition to change.

“Our focus areas will be customer service and railway safety,” he said. Rail ministry officials hailed the statement.

He added the government in the past had faced many challenges in running the railways but the transporter has enough potential. “Railways are an integrating factor of the economy.

"Addressing the concerns of the railways workforce will be a priority,” Prabhu, who replaced D V Sadananda Gowda, said.

Prabhu will be heading the ministry at a time when declining passenger volumes, coupled with higher freight rates, have squeezed earnings, even as fuel and manpower costs have led to the ballooning of expenditure.

Amid these constraints, the railways is struggling to meet the current financial year’s targeted operating ratio of 92 per cent.

The 61-year old is credited with initiating big-ticket reforms as power minister, including the Electricity Act of 2003, under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Prabhu had earlier taken charge of the environment and forest portfolio in 1998 in the Vajpayee government, before being given the chemicals and fertilisers ministry in 1999.

Image: A train; Photograph: Reuters