New
Delhi:
Passenger fares
-
75%
concession in fares in second and sleeper classes
to widows of Defence personnel killed in action against
terrorists/extremists.
-
Escort
accompanying a deaf and dumb person also to get 50%
concession in fares in First, Second, Sleeper Classes
and in season tickets.
-
75
% concession in fares in II/SL/I/AC Chair Car and
AC 3-tier classes for severe/ moderate haemophilia
patients travelling for treatment.
-
Full
concession in second class to unemployed youths attending
interviews for selection to central government jobs
to be implemented.
Review
of Performance in 2003-04
-
Loading
target exceeded by 7.39 MT. This is 38.65 MT higher
than the previous year's loading.
-
Passenger
traffic registered a growth of about 3%.
-
The
operating ratio as per approximate actuals stands
at 92.1 % as against 94.1% budgeted.
-
Plan
expenditure is expected to be around Rs. 13, 311 crore
-
Priority
to development and expansion of railway infrastructure
as mentioned in the Common Minimum Programme.
-
Modernisation
of Railways, replacement and renewal of assets particularly
track renewal, safety of passengers, cleanliness,
improvement in passenger amenities, control over expenditure
and prevention of leakage of revenue to be the thrust
areas.
Progress
under Special Railway Safety Fund
-
Track
renewal - 8,938 km of track renewed up to 31-3-04
out of the total target of 16,538 km.
-
Replacement
of overaged signaling systems with modern systems
completed at 441 stations and work in progress at
1053 other stations.
-
Interlocking
at level crossings with signals completed at 7095
out of 16,549 manned level crossings.
-
Provision
of Train Actuated Warning Device undertaken at 90
selected level crossings.
-
Track
circuiting works in progress at about 5300 locations.
-
Rehabilitation/Rebuilding
of 1306 bridges completed, 411 more to be done in
2004-05.
-
Introduction
of Block Proving by Axle Counters, Train Protection
and Warning System and provision of Anti-Collision
Device.
-
Safety
on long welded rails through measurement of actual
forces.
-
Prohibition
on transportation of explosives and inflammable materials
in trains to be enforced.
-
Setting
up of Institute of Rescue and Medical Relief at Bangalore
with training modules on Disaster Management.
-
Additional
responsibilities to RPF for escorting passenger trains,
etc. w.e.f. 1st July 2004.
-
Skills
of existing RPF personnel upgraded.
-
Direct
recruitment to RPF reverted from RRBs to Security
Department.
Several
Modernisation steps including
-
Bridge
improvement and rehabilitation.
-
Trials
of corrosion resistant wagons.
-
Introduction
of crew friendly cabs.
-
Setting
up of International Railway Strategic Management Institute.
-
Introduction
of computer based Traffic Control System.
IT
Measures
-
Extension
of Material Management Information System.
-
Pilot
project on E-procurement.
-
Claim
Offices being computerized.
-
Unreserved
Ticketing System being extended.
-
Extension
of Passenger Reservation System.
-
300
Goods sheds and sidings to be covered under Rake Management
System of Freight Operations Information System.
-
Coaching
Operations Information System covering passenger coaches
and parcel vans will be implemented.
Catering
-
Transparency
in award of catering contracts will be ensured.
-
Catering
services at stations and on trains will be improved.
Wholesome milk and milk products sourced from dairy
units of cooperative sector, where possible, will
be made available at all catering outlets.
-
A
nationwide cleanliness drive has been launched - spirit
of competition infused.
-
Disposable
"kulhars" will be made available, use of
plastic cups to be discouraged.
-
Development
of an environment friendly coach toilet discharge
system taken up.
-
Upholstery/linen
used on Railways will henceforth be of handloom/khadi
variety.
Book
stalls
-
As
per new bookstall policy, allotment at 'B', 'C' &
'D' class stations open only to unemployed graduates
and their associations; 25% reservation to under privileged
section.
-
At
'A' class stations, a two packet tender system introduced.
Better
availability of wagons to customers
-
Wagon
production to be started at Jamalpur workshop, with
marginal augmentation.
-
Round
the clock loading and unloading of rakes at terminals
to be encouraged.
-
Multi-modal
traffic like Roll on Roll off will be considered.
-
Movement
of milk by tankers to be facilitated.
-
1222
kms of BG lines added to the system during 2003-04,
1650 Km targeted for 2004-05.
-
Jammu
- Udhampur project has been completed and Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla
project proceeding as per target.
-
Projects
in North Eastern States and Southern States also to
be expedited.
-
Target
of completion of 1000 kms of gauge conversion in 2004-05.
-
206
kms of doubling has been completed during 2003-04,
target for 2004-05 is 381 km
-
72
Surveys for New Lines, Gauge Conversion, Doubling
including updating of old surveys proposed.
-
Electrfication
of 504 route kms has been completed during 2003-04,
target for 2004-05 is 375 route-kms.
-
62
throughput enhancement works identified for expeditious
completion.
New
production unit for wheel manufacture
Welfare
measures
-
Encouragement
to Railway women employees' welfare and empowerment
activities.
-
Rs.
5 crore provided for improving the shelters for licensed
porters.
-
Facility
of one set of privilege pass for the licensed porter
(coolie) for self only from the station of working
to any station on Indian Railways and back extended
to the spouse of the porter also.
-
Licensed
porters/vendors/hawkers/construction workers associated
with the Railways to be brought under social security
net.
-
Grant
to be made to unorganized workers' Social Security
Fund for the benefit of licensed porters.
-
A
special drive to be launched to clear backlog of reserved
vacancies in ST & OBC.
Passenger
Amenities
-
An
outlay of Rs. 215 cr has been provided for 2004-05
for Passenger Amenity works.
-
Deployment
of Lady Ticket Checking Squads.
-
'Village-on-Wheels'
trains comprising ordinary sleeper class coaches to
be introduced for common man.
Passenger
Services
Annual
Plan 2004-05
-
Total
Plan outlay is Rs. 14,498 crore including Rs. 2,933
crore through Special Railway Safety Fund and Rs.
300 crore separate allotment from general exchequer
for Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla National Project.
-
Funds
received from general exchequer are Rs. 7,020 crore
including 2,075 crore as contribution to Special Railway
Safety Fund and Rs. 401 crore from the Central Road
Fund.
-
Internal
generation to provide Rs. 2,870 cr apart from Rs.
858 crore contribution to SRSF.
-
Market
borrowing through IRFC is budgeted at Rs. 3,400 crore
and Rs. 50 crore as investment through a 'BOT' project
in the Viramgam-Mehsana Gauge Conversion work.
-
Loading
target fixed at 580 million tonnes, 10 million tonnes
higher than the Interim Budget target.
-
Freight
earnings placed at Rs. 28,745 crore, Rs. 645 crore
more than Interim Budget.
-
Passenger
earnings revised downward from Rs. 14,200 crore in
the Interim Budget to Rs. 13,940 crore based on trend.
-
Other
Coaching earnings increased from Rs. 990 cr. in the
Interim Budget to Rs. 1,040 crore taking into account
the proposed re-classification of parcel rates.
-
The
target for Sundry Other earnings placed at Rs. 1,072
cr.
-
The
Gross Traffic Receipt are Rs. 44,902 crore which is
Rs. 420 crore higher than the interim budget.
-
Ordinary
Working Expenses budgeted at Rs. 32,960 crore in the
Interim Budget have been recast and kept at Rs. 32,860
crore.
-
The
post interim budget factors like merger of 50 per
cent DA with basic pay and increase in the diesel
price will be absorbed by stringent measures for expenditure
control and zero base budgeting.
-
Appropriation
to Depreciation Reserve Fund is stepped up from Rs.
1,900 crore in the Interim Budget to Rs. 2,267 crore
-
Appropriation
to Pension Fund from revenue kept at Rs. 6,290 crore
-
The
total working expenses budgeted at Rs. 41,417 crore
and the net traffic receipt Rs. 4,478 crore as against
Rs. 4,225 crore of Interim Budget.
-
Current
dividend of Rs. 3,305 crore and Rs. 300 crore towards
the deferred dividend liability will be paid.
Introduction
of
Parcel
rates
-
Around
7.1 per cent increase in Parcel rates under Scale-R,
rates under Scale-P to be fixed at around 53 per cent
of the rates under Scale-R as against 43 per cent
at present.
-
Scale-E
to be merged with Scale -S.
-
Scales
of charging parcels to be reduced from 4 to 3.
-
The
ratio between highest and the lowest rates will be
reduced from 6.2 to 3.0.
-
All
types of special Parcel trains including Millennium
Parcel trains,
to be charged at Scale -P instead of Scale-S.
-
The
adjustment in parcel rates to generate additional
revenue of Rs. 50 cr.
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