NEW DELHI: With the Rajya Sabha clearing the Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 by a voice vote, Parliament on Monday passed the legislation, replacing a 1905 Act, ensuring an enhancement in the functioning and giving autonomy to the Railway Board.
The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on December 11 last year during the Winter Session of Parliament.
Replying to a discussion on the bill, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasised that the bill’s role is to empower field offices, enhance efficiency, and reinforce cooperative federalism.
Expressing gratitude to the 25 members who participated in the discussion, the Minister acknowledged the valuable suggestions provided by them and asserted that the bill is designed to simplify existing laws and does not diminish the powers of state governments.
“Instead, it promotes decentralization by granting full authority to General Managers in Railway Zones to approve projects up to Rs 1,000 crore,” he added.
The Minister also highlighted budget allocations to states where the BJP is not in power. “Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and West Bengal have all received significantly higher allocations compared to previous administrations,” he noted.
According to officials, the bill proposes to simplify the legal framework by suitably incorporating all the provisions of the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905, and the Railways Act, 1989. This will reduce the need to refer to two laws, and instead, reference will be required to only one law, they added.
The proposed law has been inserted into the Railways Act, 1989, and the functioning of the Railway Board, Zones, and Divisions will remain unaffected, they said.