Minister of Railways and MOS Railways Personally Monitoring the Implementation of Budget Announcements

Comprehensive Mechanism and Action Plan put in Place to Ensure Time Bound Implementation

Indian Railways Developed Online Monitoring of Implementation of Budgetary Proposals Through E-Samiksha

The Entire Machinery of Indian Railways Geared up for Implementation Work

In an unprecedented pace of implementing announcements made in the Railway Budget 2015 -16, Ministry of Railway has already implemented 39 announcements ranging from passenger amenities system improvements to infrastructure development. Immediately after the presentation of the Budget, the Railway Minister directed Railway Board to put in place a sound mechanism to implement the budgetary announcements in a time bound manner. The entire machinery of Indian Railways was geared up to implement the budgetary proposals. 

          Under the implementation strategy, comprehensive action plans were formulated on all budget announcements. Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu and Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha have been personally monitoring the implementation and undertaking periodical review. The monitoring and periodical reviews are also being undertaken at Railway Board level, Zonal Railway level and Railway Division level. To ensure effective and efficient online monitoring, Ministry of Railway also developed a special web based software E-Samiksha to keep an eye on implementation. Ministry of Railway is next only to PMO, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Human Resource Development to have this kind of online monitoring mechanism.

Though only 36 days have passed in the current financial year 2015-16 (1^st April, 2015 to 30^th March, 2016), 39 announcements have so far been implemented which are listed below:-

1. New department for housekeeping created. It will address the issue of cleanliness in a more integrated and coordinated manner.
2. Disposable bags for garbage disposal have been started as a pilot project in Mumbai-Amritsar Punjab mail.
3. New non-AC coaches being manufactured in ICF have dustbins from 1^st of May, 2015.
4. NIFT, Delhi has been engaged for designing of bedroll etc.
5. 03 new mechanized laundries have been started at Kochiveli, Malda town and Santragachhi to supply clean linen taking total of such laundries to 33. Twenty nine more locations have been identified. 
6. Passenger Helpline 138 already functional. It will work as an interface for queries/complaints related to medical emergency, cleanliness, food & catering, coach maintenance, linen etc.
7. Security Helpline 182 already functional to report any unsavoury incidents. This service is very important public service and may play an important role in emergencies like crime against women, onboard unlawful activity, train accidents, medical attention required and fire etc.
8. An application and a portal to redress railway related complaints has been developed where online tracking of complaints is also possible.
9. Operation 5 minutes launched i.e. to purchase unreserved tickets within 5 minutes. It has been launched as pilot project on Chennai suburban railway where passengers can buy paperless unreserved tickets on their mobile.
10. Instructions have been issued for differently-abled travelers to purchase concessional E-tickets after one time registration.
11. E-ticketing portal in Hindi is ready for launch.
12. E-catering has been introduced. This is a service where a passenger is able to place an order for a meal, to be served at his seat in the train enroute, through a phone call or an SMS. Presently this service is available in 134 pairs of trains.
13. Online booking of retiring rooms functional.  
14. 73 pairs of trains have been identified for introducing hand-held terminals to TTEs. Supply is expected to be received by the end of May, 2015.
15. SMS alert for advance arrival of train at destination functional.
16. Centrally managed railway display network is ready for technology demonstration.
17. Pilot project for providing surveillance cameras has been launched in ICF.
18. On board entertainment has been started on Kalka Shatabdi. It is now being extended to other trains.
19. Instructions have been issued to provide mobile charging facilities in all new general class coaches. Mobile charging facilities will be provided in 3000 existing coaches in 2015-16.
20. Quota for lower berths for senior citizens increased from 2 to 4 per coach.
21. E-concierge services started in 22 railway stations.
22. 05 trains have been identified for augmentation of capacity from 24 to 26 coaches.
23. Instructions issued for TTEs to help senior citizens/pregnant women to get lower berths.
24. Instructions have been issued for reserving middle bay for women & Senior citizens.
25. Perishable Cargo center as Azadpur Mandi inaugurated. This perishable cargo centre will help farmers and consumers in a big way and the ripening of fruits and cold storage facilities at this cargo centre will help the farmers get a good price and good market for their product.  
26. New instructions have been issued on 10^th April, 2015 to liberalize the private freight terminal policy.
27. All pending recommendations made by Kakodkar committee on safety have been examined by the Railway Board.
28. Kayakalp Council formed. Noted Industrialist Shri Ratan Tata to head this Council. The purpose of the Council is to recommend innovative methods and processes for the improvement, betterment and transformation of the Indian Railways.
29. Taskforce has been constituted for drafting the IT vision for Indian Railways.
30. A committee under Shri Ajay Shankar has been constituted for revamping of the PPP cell.
31. MoU for creating a SPV signed in between Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Coal and Government of Odisha. It will help expedite Railway connectivity projects for coal transportation in Odisha.
32. MoU with LIC signed. It is a landmark achievement with Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) providing highest ever funding of ₹ 1.5 lakh crore for Railways. This move will ultimately help railways growth through augmentation of its financial resources.
33. Rail connectivity to Dighi Port approved through PPP.
34. Instructions issued for organizing training of frontline staffs on soft skills.
35. Negotiations for financing railway projects through World Bank commenced.  
36. The process for putting in place a regulator has been initiated.
37. MoU signed for Railway Research Centre at Mumbai University.
38. MOU with National Institute of Designing signed. Under this, Railway Design Centre will be set up in the campus of National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmadabad. This will help improve customer’s happiness by way of better designed coaches and providing cost effective solutions to problems faced by passengers during train travel. 
39. MoU for creating a SPV signed in between Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Coal and Government of Jharkhand. It will help expedite Railway connectivity projects for coal transportation in Jharkhand.

Budget implementation monitoring ensures rapid operationalisation of railway service and infrastructure reforms through online tracking. A centrally directed, time bound implementation regime requires comprehensive action plans, multilayered periodic reviews and deployment of a web based monitoring platform, E-Samiksha, to enable real time supervision, grievance tracking and coordination across Railway Board, zonal and divisional levels for delivery of passenger service, safety, infrastructure and institutional reform measures.