Remove ideas of colonial mindset to achieve better: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
NEW DELHI: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that the transformation in railways is imperative to the transformation in the country.
Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: "The Prime Minister always says that if the country has to be transformed, then the railway has to be transformed first. Without transformation in railway, the country cannot be transformed."
Speaking at a farewell function of railway officials, the railway minister categorically said that those working in railways should shed the things of colonial mindset while working for nation.
"We have to remove the ideas of colonial mindset. The day General Manager (GM) himself will start welding, that day it will be seen that there has been a real change in the railways," the minister remarked while motivating officials to set examples in services.
"Till 3 years ago, I used to do welding myself just because I have to keep in mind where the land is and keep myself grounded for reality. We should not forget what we are," he said.
Vaishnaw, who has been a technocrat-turned-bureaucrat and now a bureaucrat-turned-politician, further added: "We should consolidate all these changes that have taken place in railways in last 8 years, to bring about a phase of massive growth in the next 8 years with these changes."
Dwelling upon the positive impacts brought into railways through massive changes in services and other sectors, he admitted that changes in railways had brought a new kind of customer satisfaction. "Even, the customers taking cargo services are experiencing a new level of customer satisfaction," the minister claimed.
Touching upon the working sentiment of the officials, he further: "The facility that we give to the CEO of a big company or to an MP, the same if we give importance to the problem of a woman from a tribal village. So on that day, it will be felt that we too have done something for the country in the true sense."
He dropped a cryptic message to non-performing officials: "The one who gets tired should go home. There is nothing wrong with it. But those, who are strong and ready to work till the late end and achieve their full potential are the ones who can transform the Indian railway."