NEW DELHI: The Suresh Prabhu-led Railways ministry’s penchant for committees, missions and consultants is well-known. After setting up a dozen such panels—some headed by top brains like Metroman E Sreedharan, industrialist Ratan Tata and former CAG Vinod Rai to bring reforms—the ministry is now set to hire a global consultancy firm to assess the government carrier’s operational issues and provide solutions to improve its fiscal health.
While some of the committees constituted by Prabhu have submitted reports, others are still in the process of coming up with their reports. While the committees headed by Sreedharan and Bibek Debroy had submitted their reports, Tata-headed Kayakalp Council, mandated to address issues pertaining to safety and improving efficiency, have met a few times.
Constitution of these committees, mostly headed by experts outside the ministry, has seen some resistance from officials in the Railway Board. The proposal to hire a new consultancy firm has again raised some concerns among officials for they feel that operations and work of railways is very specific.
“There have been so many committees appointed in the last three years by the ministry but leaving a few, the reports of some are yet to come. There is a general feeling that such committees should be headed by people having knowledge on railway operations and status, which is not the case in present cases,” said a senior Railway Board official.
Railways has been facing a revenue loss of `30,000 crore on passenger segment and efforts are being made to improve the fiscal health. Railways had earlier roped in HR audit firm Deloitte to optimise strength of its gazette officers. The report was submitted in 2016 but the ministry is still to accept its recommendations. According to a senior officer, the report did not have much substance, and was more or less not of much use to the railways. Prabhu had also roped in Ernst & Young (EY) to advise on increase of non-fare revenue through advertising and other means.
“Interestingly, tasks of some of the committees overlap and all are working independently. So, it has to be seen how these committees have helped railways in improving its services and revenue generation,” the official said. The mandate of all these committees ranges from suggesting measures to improve financial health, bringing transparency, revenue generation and re-structuring of railways. The outcome and fate of such committees need to be seen.
Sept 2014: A high-level committee for railway restructuring under economist Bibek Debroy
Status: Some of the committee’s recommendations have been implemented.
Dec 2014: A committee under former secretary D K Mittal to increase revenue
Status: Parts of its recommendations implemented.
Jan 2015: A committee under former CAG Vinod Rai to advise on transparency
Status: Yet to submit report.
March 2015: Technology Mission for Indian Railways, headed by Prof N G Vyas, IIT-Kanpur
Status: Has been directing railways to take up technology and innovation.
March 2015: Kayakalp Council, headed by Ratan Tata
Status: Meant to drive innovation and improve safety but nothing concrete has come so far.
March 2015: A committee to review the existing Public Private Partnership (PPP) Cell under former secretary Ajay Shankar
Status: Yet to submit report.
March 2015: A committee to review the existing Public Private Partnership (PPP) Cell under former secretary Ajay Shankar
Status: Yet to submit report.
Nov 2015: Under Metro-man E Sreedharan it was to work on transparency and accountability
Status: Based on its report, Railways decentralised tendering process.
March 2016: Ernst & Young was appointed as consultant to advise on non-fare revenue
Status: It submitted a report assessing railways potential.
Aug 2016: Former McKinsey India chief Adil Zainulbhai, who heads Quality Council of India (QCI), for marketing of resources.
Status: QCI has been assisting Railways.