Lalu flags off Garib Nawaz Express

KISHANGANJ: Railway minister Lalu Prasad has set at rest all speculations about any possibility of privatisation of the Indian railways. The railway minister claimed that while the Indian Railways have earned a whopping Rs 13,500 crore profit in last year, its profit is expected to touchthe Rs 20,000-crore mark this fiscal. Pointing out that the Indian Railways is the only profit-making railway organisation in the world, lau said henceforth its new thrust area would be passenger safety and security. Lalu, who flagged off the weekly Kishanganj-Ajmer Garib Nawaz Express here on Sunday, also announced a slew of measures including revamp of decrepit railway bridges and strengthening of tracks, on the occasion. Talking to the media, he indicated that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) strength will be increased by 40,000 additional personnel from its present strength of 60,000 to tackle both crime in trains and terror. "All metropolitan stations will be equipped with close-circuit TV cameras and control rooms," he said adding that a move is no to bar non-passengers from platforms. "Sniffer dogs will scan the main stations," he said. The railway minister, bowing to the request of senior party colleague and junior Union minister Taslimuddin, conceded to the demand for stoppage of three trains — the weekly Guwahati-Amritsar Express, the weekly Guwahati-New Delhi Sampark Express and bi-weekly NJP-Sealdah — at Kishanganj.

He also directed the N F Railway GM to ensure expeditious survey of two new lines between Kishanganj and Jalalgarh and Jogbani-Galgalia and construction of washing PIT line at Kishanganj. He said frequency of Garib Nawaz Express could be increased depending on the volume of traffic and added more new trains could originate from Kishanganj once the PIT line was completed. Taslimuddin, who presided over the function, blamed the bureaucrats for the poor implementaiton of the sanctioned schemes in Kishanganj and charged them with playing into the hands of "railway mafia". Taking potshots at his political detractor and Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, Lalu reminded him of his assertion to reverse the process of mass exodus of farm workers form Bihar. In this context he recalled the famous Hindi film song "Jo wada kiya nibhana parega (you will have to fulfil what you promised)" or else "mujhe aana parega (I will have to come back)." NF Railway GM A K Sonalka, in his welcome address, said Kishanganj was one of 24 stations adopted for modernisation and so far Rs 14 crore was earmarked for this. RJD MLA Akhtar-ul-Iman said introduction of Garib Nawaz Express will further cement Hindu-Muslim unity, as both Ajmer and Kishanganj were symbols of communal amity.