Despite a diverging of religion, language, and food-habits etc., India has maintained a unit. It has remained one and united thanks to the railways and English language, who have played a cementing role in strengthening nationalization in the vast country. The computerization has brought about a sea change in the life of the people who can travel from one corner to the other corners without any botheration. In fact, the Railways as a unique symbol of our unity in diversity, national solidarity, defence support, economic leveller, a major employer and communicator should attract our primary attendance and we should take all measures to maintain them in the tip-top condition, accident free travel.

There are several deficiencies in these requirements and need prompt attention to upgrade this indispensable economic tool of the national progress.

In spite of above place of Railways in our life, the Railways have failed to avoid accidents. Last year, there were 411 Railway accidents. Due to above accidents; 260 people died and 488 people were injured, the number of accidents were 252, 262, 299, 287 in year 1996-97, 1997-1998, 1999-2000, 2000-2001 respectively. The then Railway Minister Ms.Mamta Banerjee, in spite of this condition, the Railway did not increase the fare and provide for the safety in railway. Unfortunately, N.D.A. Government uniquely supported her budget and did not take the steps. After exit of Ms.Mamta Banerjee, Mr. Nitish Kumar, Minister of Railways has planned to repair the railway tracks, etc. within six years.

The above illustration shows how slow the Indian mind is. The Hon'ble Railway Minister ought to have raised rupees 16,000 crore and should have completed the repairing of tracks and bridges within two years. On account of failure, we have witnessed Rajdhani Express railway accident in Bihar in which 128 people have lost their lives and number of others injured. The above illustration is also given in order to point out how people of India suffer due to slow decision on part of the leaders.

We have got a Railway network of 63,028 Kms. On 31st March 2000 and everyday 14,323 trains are on the tracks out of which 8,500 are passenger trains and one crore thirty lac passengers travel in train everyday and utilize 65,353 Railway-stations.

Above figures are given in order to show how the Minister of Railways played with lives of the passengers by not carrying out the repairs and replacement of railway tracks within two years. The Government could have easily raised 16,000 crore within two years by adopting following ways:

• Every Loksabha Member and every Member of Rajya Sabha gets Rs.two crores a year. The Central Government can suspend the said payment for two years and divert to Railways which will make about Rs.3400 crores.

• 59 days bonus has been given to 16 lac Railway employees, which can be postponed for the urgent repairs and replacement of tracks.

• The amount can be raised by diverting funds from Rs.35,000 crore which are allotted for conversion of meter-guage to broad-guage.

• All types of concessions and passes for public and staff in the Railways can be suspended for the period of two years.

• The fares can be increased on stating correct facts to the public assuring them accident-free travel.

• If necessary, Railway Bonds could have been issued with Railway ticket concessions thereon.

Indian Economic Survey 2002-03 in para 9.70, page No. 200 has observed regarding Safety on the Indian Railways as follows :-

"9.70 High priority is being accorded to safety on the Indian Railways. The Safety Organisation functions as a three-tier arrangement - at the Railway Board, Zonal Headquarters and the Divisional levels. It is essentially a service department monitoring the safety performance of various departments, and helping them to discharge their safety-related functions effectively. In order to implement one of the major recommendations of the Railway Safety Review Committee, a non lapsable "Special Railway Safety Fund" (SRFS) of Rs.17,000 crore was set up in 2001-02 to wipe out the arrears in renewal of overaged assets within a fixed time frame of six years. The funding is to be done by a dividend-free grant of Rs.12,000 crore from the General Exchequer and Rs.5,000 crores to be generated by the Ministry of Railways by way of safety surcharge on passenger fares. SRFS will be utiliszed to wipe out arrears of renewals of tracks, bridges, signaling, installations, rolling stocks and enhance specified safety measures. Safety Enhancement Measures include tracking circuiting of maximum number of stations, aids necessary for improving the safety on rolling stock, upgradation of training facilities including training aids in training facility including training aids in training institutions, simulators for locomotive drivers, and development of computer based training modules. During the year 2001-02, works totaling Rs.1,434 crore were executed under the SRFS."

Every passenger should take his personal accident insurance policy, while traveling in the Indian Railways for the period of six years as the Railways is to take six years to carry out safety measures. The Central Government has not considered the fact that reputation of safe travel in Railways is very much material for getting inflow or foreign tourists and indirectly foreign exchange.