Amid heated arguments between the federal government and opposition inside Parliament, Lok Sabha on Wednesday (December 13) handed the The Railways (Modification) Invoice, 2024.
The Invoice seeks to repeal the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905 and incorporate its provisions into the Railways Act, 1989. And though the contents of the brand new laws itself didn’t obtain a lot criticism, many MPs expressed issues in regards to the Invoice failing to handle bigger points pertaining to the railways together with security, vacancies, and decentralisation of energy on the zonal and division ranges.
Why did the federal government convey the Invoice?
The development of India’s railway community started as a department of the Public Works Division earlier than Independence. When the community expanded, Indian Railways Act, 1890, was enacted to allow correct functioning of various railway entities. Later, the railway organisation was separated from the Public Works Division and the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905 was then enacted to supply the Railway Board with sure powers or features underneath the Indian Railways Act, 1890.
Whereas the Act of 1890 was repealed in 1989 when the Railways Act was enacted, the Railway Board Act, 1905 remained in existence, and Chairman & members of the board continued to be appointed underneath this regulation.
The federal government mentioned that the brand new Invoice will simplify the regulation by integrating the Railway Board (1905 Act) into the Railway Act. In addition they mentioned that this can scale back the necessity to refer to 2 legal guidelines. The Invoice was launched in Lok Sabha on August 9, 2024.
“With the passage of this Invoice, the effectivity and growth of railways will witness a paradigm shift,” Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned whereas shifting the movement for consideration of the Invoice.
What does the Invoice say?
The Invoice amends Part 2 of the Railways Act, 1989, and inserts a brand new chapter IA which pertains to the Railway Board. It makes provision to supply sure powers to the Railway Board “as prescribed by the Central Authorities”.
It says that the Centre could make investments the Railway Board, both completely or topic to any situations, with all or any of the powers or features of the Central Authorities underneath this Act with respect to any or all Railways.
Together with this, the Chairman and members of the board appointed underneath the 1905 Act shall be deemed to have been appointed underneath this Act as nicely. The Railway Board is already in existence, and the Invoice doesn’t suggest to create any new Board or physique.
From the standpoint of passengers, the brand new invoice is anticipated to boost the functioning of the Railway Board, which can end result within the environment friendly growth of the railway community.
Nonetheless, some MPs have raised issues that the brand new laws will have an effect on the impartial working of the Railway Board, and the Centre is holding all powers pertaining to the board with itself by bypassing the parliament.
What did MPs say in regards to the Invoice?
Aparajita Sarangi, the BJP MP from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, mentioned that that the brand new regulation is a major step in direction of modernising, simplifying, and strengthening the Indian Railways. “The features and independence of the Railway Board will probably be enhanced with this Invoice,” she mentioned.
Some Opposition MPs, nonetheless, felt that the Invoice was launched with out satisfactory deliberation.
“Earlier than the institution of the Railway Board in 1905, Sir Thomas Robertson had convened a committee to assemble opinions, after which the board was fashioned. It might have been extra useful to kind an all-party committee to debate this matter after which introduce amendments,” Neeraj Maurya, the Samajwadi Get together MP from Aonla, Uttar Pradesh, mentioned. He added that “the Railway Board ought to be made an impartial physique with the authority to make choices, and it ought to be free of authorities management.”
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi mentioned that the Invoice fails to include any of the suggestions made by a number of professional committees over time. “The Committee on Restructuring of Railways, constituted within the yr 2015, had really helpful establishing an impartial regulator, however the present Invoice fails to create an impartial regulator,” he mentioned.
Chandra Shekhar, Azad Samaj Get together (Kanshi Ram) MP from Nagina in UP, raised the query whether or not SCs, STs, OBCs and girls are going to be accommodated within the Railway Board as members. “It’s crucial that the appointments have to be made on the premise of {qualifications} and experience within the area and never on the premise of political ideologies one is affiliated with. The Railways must be handy, reasonably priced and dependable,” he mentioned.
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee mentioned, “The query is relating to the merger of two Acts — whether or not the repealed Act will meet up challenges that Indian Railways faces by way of operational delays, accidents and security initiatives, bureaucratic inefficiencies, gradual technical adoption and complexity of the PPA mannequin and investments, and rest of powers to Zone.”
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