NEW DELHI: As Piyush Goyal was appointed as the new Railway Minister, his cabinet colleague and fellow Mumbaikar Suresh Prabhu's nearly three year tenure as rail minister, which saw 346 accidents and the highest number of 193 passenger deaths in a decade in 2016-17, came to an end.
Goyal is the third railway minister in NDA government tenure. Prabhu, who became railway minister in November 2014, had replaced Sadanand Gowda.
But Goyal, who also holds portfolio of coal minister, will have to hit ground running in railways and focus on steps to improve freight earnings, complete pending projects and ensure passenger safety while passenger fare needs to remain untouched keeping in mind 2019 general election. Railways is facing loss of Rs 36000 crore annually owing to passenger fare subsidy.
Goyal will have to also look after shaping up of PM's dream bullet train project. The ground breaking is likely to take place mid-September.
Prabhu, who is appointed as Commerce minister, was handpicked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 to lead the team of the largest number of 13 lakh government employees and bring ailing railways back on track. But his performance was under scanner for long and there were rumours in past few weeks that he will lose the ministry.
The final blow came in the Utkal Express derailment on August 19 that killed 23 people. Railways accepted that accident happened due to negligence of its own staff. Prabhu had offered to quit the same day but was asked to wait by the prime minister. Prabhu had himself removed many senior officials fixing direct responsibility for the increasing mishaps.
Railway witnessed 371 accidents during NDA's tenure and 346 happened under Prabhu as railway minister. The highest number of 193 passenger deaths since 2016 was reported in 2016-17 was also during his tenure.
Even before reshuffle of portfolios was officially announced, Prabhu tweeted his gratitude to railway employees.
"Thanks to all 13 Lacs plus rail family for their support, love, goodwill. I will always cherish these memories with me. Wishing you all a great life," Prabhu tweeted.
As the list of new portfolios to minister was made public, Prabhu welcomed Goyal as new Railway Minister.
"Welcoming my long time dear friend, colleague Piyush Goyal to Railway Ministry. I offer all my help to him to make railways world class. All best. Thanks to all passengers, customers, media, stakeholders, partners, MPs, state govts, public reps, social org, employees, for unstinted support as Minister of Railways," he said in his farewell tweet.
Prime Minister was not happy with slow pace of reforms in railways, which has been projected by him as driver of change for it touches lives of millions of Indians.
Prabhu a chartered accountant by profession was brought in as railway minister with expectations to improve government run transporters' financial health but under him freight loading fell further and operating ratio jumped over 100 percent.
He did take some measures like decentralisation of tendering powers to check corruption, formation of non-fare revenue directorate, planning high speed and semi high-speed trains, dynamic fare pricing, merger of railway budget with general budget and formation of an independent tariff authority to take call on fare hike among others.
"Several policy measures were taken by him with very good intention but the problem was the slow or no progress of these measures," said sources in the ministry.
He was also one of the most active ministers on Twitter and has offered help to several passengers in need and his tweet on Sunday reflected just that.
“My dear friends, many request me to reply their grievances and be in touch. Pls (Please) appreciate & understand, I will no longer able reply on Rail issues,” Prabhu tweeted.