Page 18 - English Tehelka Issue 3&4

BudgetSpecial BudgetSpecial RAIL BUDGET

ommended that Finance Minister With declining train traffic, times to meet the challenges
Arun Jaitely extend all the incen- of globalised Indian economy,
tives being provided under Startup competition to the rail freight
India mission to Farmer Producer govt comes to railWays’ rescue from roads will still be higher.
Organizations (FPOs), including tax So options for hike in freight
exemptions, provision of capital and rates are saturated and few.
infrastructure. Though agricultural In the budget 2018-19, the
income of farmers is exempt from The highest-ever allocation of capital expenditure of 1.48 lakh crore comes railways had fewer options
income tax, the income of FPOs is to increase fares and freight
taxable at 30 per cent from the very at the right time for the Railways that is bearing steep losses and needs better rates. Nevertheless, some in-
first year — this is a major disincen- infrastructure, writes M.Y.Siddiqui novative out of the box meas-
tive for farmers to come together ures were expected to be an-
to establish collective business en- photo: tehelka archives nounced to mop up additional
tities. Allocation should be taken been kept low consciously resources like dedicated
up to 3,000 crore. MSP should be For the All India Kisan Sangharsh • Price revision Most farmers sought to cater to common people. commercial ads of global cor-
effectively implemented for pulses Coordination Committee, the revi- revision of MSP by 50 per cent In this context and in view of porations preferably in elite
and oilseeds as India imports over sion of MSP by 50 per cent is a major majority of people being poor, trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi
70 per cent of its edible oil needs. demand that overlaps the wish lists scope for increase in passen- and Duronto as well as in
The remedy is to keep edible oil of most of the farmers’ organisa- terests of the producer farmers, ger fares was little. other mail/express/superfast
duties higher for farmers to see val- tions. “Get rid of subsidy and give Indian agriculture should switch Also, because of General trains. Some other measures,
ue in oilseed cultivation. the farmers remunerative prices,” from being production-centric to Elections in 2019, the govern- could have included com-
The other suggestions of farm- said Avik Saha, a senior member of market-centric. There is no quick ment didn’t want to disap- mercial space utilization for
ers are that the government revive the organisation that also demands fix solution for the challenges faced point the public by increasing additional revenue.
agriculture extension, announce a complete waiver on agricultural by farmers. A shift in the develop- train fares in the budget for There is also talk about
a five-year plan to appoint one outstanding that is estimated at ment paradigm is imminent to the next fiscal.. Railways High Speed Author-
agriculture graduate as extension 13.55 lakh crore (from institutional address the livelihoods of half of It is a matter of concern ity and Rail Development Au-
worker for every ten villages, thus sources) and enable the producers India’s population to make it a that while rail freight traffic thority, besides the progress
creating 60,000 jobs. for profitable price recoveries. world power. photo: tehelka archives between 1950-51 and 2013-14 of 100 per cent FDI in Indian
The Chairman of Federation Despite several reform initiatives The results of Gujarat elections grew15 times, share of rail- Railways, and the possibility
of Indian Farmers Associations, a taken by the incumbent govern- are a precursor to growing farmer hare of rail traffic, gradual shift of passenger ways in originating tonnage of announcement of Germa-
pan-India farmers’ outfit, has also ment and its predecessors, agricul- resentment and its political ramifi- both in passen- traffic to growth of metro rail has come down from 89 per ny’s Siemens setting up their
laid stress on meeting farmers’ ture marketing in India continues cations. Political parties have taken ger and freight, services, cancellation of trains cent in 1951 to 30 per cent manufacturing of railways
demands to give them immediate to suffer from several deficiencies. quick cognizance of grievances has come down due to agitations, natural in 2011-12. Apart from high equipment under 100 per
relief. The President of the organi- These stem from less than pro- of voters and may come out with Sdrastically in the calamities and so on. While freight rates, necessitated by cent FDI under Make in India,
sation, Satnam Singh Behru, during portionate increase in number temporary relief to secure their past few decades despite several proactive innova- cross-subsidization of pas- talk for which is underway.
the pre-budget discussions with Fi- of mandis, non-transparent price vote bank. The political outcome of volume of rail traffic hav- tive steps are underway for senger services, other factors With the evolving out-
nance Minister Jaitley in New Delhi, discovery, bottlenecks in price dis- the agrarian crisis is noticed and ing gone up substantially in improving passenger traffic, responsible for declining sourcing of non-core rail ser-
asserted to re-design the Prime semination, non-transparent levies recorded in time but the ramifica- absolute terms. Presently, a positive growth of 0.45 per freight traffic include under- vices, the quality of services
Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme, and variation in charges on the sale tions on psychological and social passenger share of Indian cent was achieved during the investment in augmenting including passenger ameni-
as in its present format the forces of produce in different states. fabric of the country with so much Railways has come down to first half of the 2016-17 fiscal rail transportation capacity ties has gone down.
operating the market are making We need to initiate barter-ne- diversity may be more precarious 13 per cent from 75 per cent ending September 2016, said a over the years, majority of rail Some measures have
a fast buck at the cost of farmers. gotiations with deficit countries and a greater cause of concern. at the time of Independence. Railway Board source. freight basket being confined rightly been announced to
“Farmers have been paying premi- to expand the demand base of our The proliferation of narcotics trade There is a trend of decline in Indian Railways incurred to a small group of bulk core improve rail services includ-
um and filling the coffers of insur- commodities in global markets. In- and drug addiction in rural pock- actual number of passengers heavy losses worth over commodities with coal con- ing passenger amenities
ance companies but the maladies dia’s agriculture commodities face ets of India, crime against women which in 2012-13 was 8,421 30, 000 crore in passenger stituting 50 per cent. Efforts with corrective measures to
in the scheme have denied farmers stiff non-tariff barriers in many and children in the hinterland and million and has come down to services last year, which is including innovative market- improve quality of catering
benefits of the scheme,” he said. developed countries simply because caste clashes are manifestations of 8,151.90 million in 2015-16. cross subsidised from freight ing strategies are underway and packaged drinking water
The unit of insurance should be of their bias towards other trade unrest among the rural commu- According to the Ministry earnings because of its social to increase rail freight traffic following damning report
an individual farm not a block as partners. They refuse or restrict our nities. The doubling of farmers’ of Railways, reduction in responsibility. Simultaneous- basket. of the CAG in 2017. Besides,
many genuine victims of weath- agriculture products. Government income by 2020 would not be pos- passenger traffic is attrib- ly, railways is getting tougher At the same time freight rail safety has been given
er vagaries are excluded by this should allow preferential imports of sible when agriculture is growing at uted to factors like capacity competition from road traffic rate is prohibitive and un- additional added priority in
arrangement. For instance, insur- electronics, automobiles, aircrafts, around 2-3 per cent while it should constraints on major trunk and low-cost airlines. Pres- competitive. It is also true that view of major train accidents
ance cannot be claimed if a hail- fuel, etc. to provide international be growing at 14 per cent. routes, improvement in road ently, about 83 per cent of road traffic has an edge. With in 2016 and 2017.
storm occurs in less than 50 per edge to our commodities. infrastructure offering bet- passenger traffic is from those introduction of 60 ton trucks
cent of the block. In order to safeguard the in - letters@tehelka.com ter and faster connectivity, segments where fares have to 90 ton trucks in the coming letters@tehelka.com

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