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Railway
Budget 2013-2014
Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar
Bansal on Tuesday announced while presenting the Rail Budget 2013-14
in Lok Sabha that passenger fares would not be hiked any further this
year. Bansal stressed on safety and announced that a next generation
e-ticketing system would be in place by the end of this calendar year.
Bansal is the first Congress minister in 17 years to present the Rail
Budget.
Cash-strapped Railways had effected an across the board 21
percent passenger fare hike in January this year, aiming to mop up an
additional revenue of Rs 6,600 crore.
The highlights of
the Railway Budget 2013-2014 are
Fares and Freight
* Proposal for setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority
formulated and at inter-ministerial consultation stage
* Fuel Adjustment Component (FAC) linked revision for freight tariff
to be implemented from 1st April 2013
* Supplementary charges for super fast trains, reservation fee,
clerkage charge, cancellation charge and tatkal charge marginally
increased
* Enhanced reservation fee abolished
e-Ticketing
* ‘Aadhar’ to be used for various passenger and staff related
services.
* Internet ticketing from 0030 hours to 2330 hours.
* e-ticketing through mobile phones.
* Project of SMS alerts to passengers providing updates on reservation
status.
* Covering larger number of trains under Real Time Information System.
* Next-Gen e-ticketing system to be rolled out capable of handling
7200 tickets per minute against 2000 now & 1.20 lakh users
simultaneously against 40,000 now.
New Trains
* 67 new Express trains to be introduced
* 26 new passenger services, 8 DEMU services and 5 MEMU services to be
introduced
* Run of 57 trains to be extended
* Frequency of 24 trains to be increased
Metropolitan Projects/Sub-urban Services
* Introduction of first AC EMU rake on Mumbai suburban network in
2013-14
* Introduction of 72 additional services in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata
* Rake length increased from 9 cars to 12 cars for 80 services in
Kolkata and 30 services in Chennai
Passenger/Rail Users’ Amenities
* Identification of 104 important stations for immediate attention to
all aspects related to cleanliness.
* Progressive extension of bio-toilets on trains.
* Provision of concrete aprons on platforms with mechanized cleaning
facilities.
* Extension of On Board Housekeeping Scheme and Clean Train Stations
to more stations and trains.
* Extension of Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS), Automatic Ticket
Vending Machines (ATVMs), Coin- operated Ticket Vending Machines (CO-TVMs)
and schme of Jan-Sadharan Ticket Booking Sevaks (JTBSs).
* Setting up of six more Rail Neer bottling plants at Vijayawada,
Nagpur, Lalitpur, Bilaspur, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
* Pilot project on select trains to facilitate passengers to contact
on board staff through SMS/phone call/e-mail for coach cleanliness and
real time feedback.
* 8-10 more mechanized laundries for quality washing of linen.
* Provision of announcement facility and electronic display boards in
trains.
* Providing free Wi-Fi facilities on several trains.
* Upgrading another 60 stations as Adarsh Stations in addition to 980
already selected.
* Associate voluntary organizations for providing first aid services
at railway stations.
* Introduction of an ‘Anubhuti’ coach in select trains to provide
excellent ambience and latest facilities and services.
* 179 escalators and 400 lifts at A-1 and other major stations to be
installed facilitating elderly and differently abled.
* Affixing Braille stickers with layout of coaches including toilets,
provision of wheel chairs and battery operated vehicles at more
stations and making coaches wheel-chair friendly.
* Some JTBS to be reserved for disabled people.
* Curbing malpractices in reserved tickets including tatkal scheme.
* Third party audit and tie up with food testing laboratories for food
quality control; ISO certified state-of-the-art base kitchens to be
set up in railway premises.
* Centralized Catering Services Monitoring Cell set up with a toll
free number (1800 111 321) Rail Tourism
Measures for improving Safety & Security
* Making a Corporate Safety Plan for a ten year period (2014-2024).
* Elimination of 10797 level crossings during the 12th Plan and no
addition of new LCs to the IR system henceforth.
* Introduction of Train Protecti on Warning System on Automatic
Signalling Systems.
* Rigorous trials of the indigenously developed Train Collision
Avoidance System
* Using 60 kg rails, 260 meter long welded rail panels and improved
flash butt welding technology.
* Introduction of 160/200 kmph Self Propelled Accident Relief Trains.
* Induction of crash worthy LHB coaches with anti-climb feature.
* Rehabilitation of identified 17 distressed bridges over next one
year.
* Provision of comprehensive fire and smoke detection systems.
* Provision of portable fire extinguishers in Guard-cum-Brake Vans, AC
Coaches and Pantry Cars in all trains.
* Use of fire retardant furnishing materials in coaches.
* Measures initiated to deal with elephant related accidents.
* Four companies of women RPF personnel set up and another 8 to be set
up to strengthen the security of rail passengers, especially women
passengers.
* Recruitment to RPF with 10% vacancies reserved for women. Rail Based
Industries
* New factories/workshops to be set up: a new Forged Wheel Factory at
Rae Bareli in collaboration with Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited.
* a Greenfield Mainline Electrical Multiple Units (MEMU) manufacturing
facility at Bhilwara (Rajasthan) in collaboration with State
Government and BHEL.
* a Coach Manufacturing Unit in S onepat District (Haryana) in
collaboration with State Government.
* a Midlife Rehabilitation Workshop at Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) in
collaboration with the State Government.
* Bikaner and Pratapgarh workshops to undertake POH of BG wagons.
* a workshop for repair and rehabilitation of motorized bogies at
Misrod (Madhya Pradesh).
* a new wagon maintenance workshop in Kalahandi (Odisha).
* a modern signaling equipment facility at Chandigarh through PPP
route. Green Initiatives
* Setting up of Railway Energy Management Company (REMC) to harness
potential of solar and wind energy.
* Setting up of 75 MW capacity windmill plants and energizing 1000
level crossings with solar power.
* Deployment of new generation energy efficient electric locomotives
and EMUs.
* More usage of agro-based and recycled paper and ban use of plastic
incatering.
Rail Tourism
* Launching multi-modal travel package in cooperation with Jammu &
Kashmir state government.
* Issuing ‘Yatra Parchis’ to pilgrims travelling by rail to Mata
Vaishno Devi Shrine at the time of railway ticket booking.
* Introduction of an educational tourist train with concessional fares
-‘Azadi Express’ – to connect places associated with freedom
movement.
* Introduction of executive lounge at 7 more stations, namely,
Bilaspur, Visakhapatnam, Patna, Nagpur, Agra, Jaipur and Bengaluru.
Financial Performance 2012-13
* Loading target revised to 1007 MT against 1025 MT in BE.
* Gross Traffic Receipts fixed at 1,25,680 cr in RE, short by 6,872 cr
over Budget Estimates.
* Ordinary Working Expenses retained at BE level of 84,400 cr; pension
payments increased 1,500 cr to 20,000 cr.
* Dividend liability to government to be fully discharged.
* ‘Excess’ of 10,409 cr as against the budget amount of 15,557 cr.
* Loan of 3,000 cr taken in 2011-12 fully repaid along with interest.
* Operating Ratio of 88.8% as compared to 94.9% in 2011-12.
Budget Estimates 2013-14
* Freight loading of 1047 MT, 40 MT more than 2012-13
* Passenger growth - 5.2%.
* Gross Traffic Receipts -1,43,742 cr i.e. an increase of 18,062 cr
over RE, 2012-13.
* Ordinary Working Expenses -96,500 cr.
* Appropriation to DRF at 7,500 cr and to Pension Fund at 22,000 cr.
* Dividend payment estimated at 6,249 cr.
* Operating Ratio to be 87.8%.
* Fund Balances to exceed 12,000 cr.
Annual Plan 2013-14
* Highest ever plan outlay of 63363 cr
* Gross Budgetary Support -26,000 cr
* Railway Safety Fund - 2,000 cr
* Internal Resources - 14,260 cr
* EBR - Market Borrowing - 15,103 cr
* EBR - PPP - 6,000 cr
* 500 km new lines, 750 km doubling, 450 km gauge conversion targeted
in 2013-14
Fiscal Discipline
* No supplementary Demands for Grants introduced in Monsoon Session or
Winter Session of Parliament
* Loan of 3,000 cr repaid fully
* 347 projects prioritized with assured funding
* Operationally important projects and also last mile projects to
receive liberal funding
* A new fund – Debt Service Fund – set up to meet committed
liabilities
* Stringent targets for efficiencies in maintenance of rolling stock
and fuel consumption
* Target to create fund balance of 30,000 cr in the terminal year of
the 12th Plan
Staff Welfare
* Fund allocation for staff quarters enhanced to Rs 300 cr
* Provision of hostel facilities for single women railway employees at
all divisional headquarters
* Extending treatment facility in case of medical emergency to RELHS
beneficiaries to all cities in hospitals empanelled with CGHS and
Railways
* Condition of barracks to be improved for RPF personnel
* Provision of water closets and air conditioners in the locomotive
cabs to avoid stress being faced by loco pilots
Training and Recruitment
* 1.52 lakh vacancies being filled up this year out of which 47000
vacancies have been earmarked for weaker sections and physically
challenged
* Imparting skills to the youth in railway related trades in 25
locations
* Setting up of a multi-disciplinary training institute at Nagpur for
training in rail related electronics technologies
* Setting up of a centralized training institute at Secunderabad –
Indian Railways Institute of Financial Management
* Five fellowships in national universities to be instituted to
motivate students to study and undertake research on IR related issues
at M.Phil and Ph.D. levels
* Setting up of a chair at TERI promoting railway related research to
reduce carbon footprint Sports
* Railway Teams won 9 National Championships in 2012
* Railway Sports Promotion Board awarded the ‘Rashtriya Khel
Protsahan Puraskar – 2012’
Concessions
* Complimentary card passes to recipients of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
& Dhyan Chand Awards to be valid for travel by 1 st Class/2nd AC
* Complimentary card passes to Olympic Medalists and Dronacharya
* Awardees for travel in Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains
* Travel by Duronto Trains permitted on all card passes issued to
sportpersons having facility of travel by Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains
* Facility of complimentary card passes valid in 1st class/2nd AC
extended to parents of posthumous unmarried awardees of Mahavir Chakra,
Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, President’s Police
Medal for Gallantry and Police Medal for Gallantry
* Police Gallantry awardees to be granted one complimentary pass every
year for travel along with one companion in 2nd AC in Rajdhani/Shatabadi
Trains
* Passes for freedom fighters to be renewed once in three years
Some Achievements/Initiatives
* IR enters the one billion tonne Select Club joining Chinese, Russian
and US Railways;
* IR also joins Select Club running freight trains of more than 10000
tonne load;
* ‘Fuel Adjustment Component’ concept to be implemented linking
tariffs with movement of fuel prices;
* Target of Rs 1000 crore each fixed for Rail Land Development
Authority and IR Station Development Corporation to be raised through
PPP in2013-14;
* New fund – Debt Service Fund – to be set up to meet committed
liabilities of debt servicing for WB and JICA loans for DFC and other
future liabilities. Source: Zee News. |
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